Nursing Schools in California

So you are thinking of applying to a nursing school in California! (If you’re not, you got lost somewhere!)

You have plenty of choice! The California Board of Registered Nursing website lists approximately 90 nursing schools in California. There are entire countries that don’t have nearly that many schools of nursing! The US is very privileged in that respect – nursing is a mature profession with many many opportunities for training, and all the more so in the largest state in the US, California.

1. What is nursing school?

Obvious question, but where nursing schools in California are concerned the term specifically refers to Associate Degree programs (ADN – Associate Degree in Nursing) approved by the State of California and offering training for the vocation of Registered Nurse (RN). Approximately 12 of those 90 California nursing schools are private and some (you should check which) also offer weekend courses, evening courses and accelerated fast track programs. Some only admit LVNs, so that is something you should also consider.

If you are planning to become a licensed nurse, i.e. to sit the NCLEX-RN examination in California, then you must attend a nursing school and program that is approved by the BRN. The BRN is authorised to approve nursing school programs in the state of California, to ensure their compliance with regulations and statutory requirements. This means that candidates have to ensure that they have completed all course requirements at an accredited nursing school in California, as any portion completed at an unnapproved school will disqualify them from sitting the NCLEX. In particular, the Board is very clear that no international distance learning nursing programs are currently approved.

There are also around 40 California nursing schools offering four-year Baccalaureat Degree programs and around 20 offering Entry-Level Masters programs.

2. What are the top nursing schools in California?

People always want to know what the top institutions are in their field, understandably. If you are looking from the point of view of the highest pass rate, then you can have a look at our article about the top California nursing schools here. But you have to remember that nursing schools with very high pass rates are usually also those with the most demanding entry requirements and possibly a small number of places for students every year. They may well also have the highest fees. At the end of the day, the best nursing school in California is the one that suits you best. Your success will depend mostly on how you apply yourself, and you should not place too much emphasis on finding the “best” school around.

3. How to apply to nursing school

Of course, every nursing school in California has a different set of entry requirements, and you have to look into the specific school you are interested in to see exactly what admission conditions you need to meet. Generally, though, high school or equivalent is of course a must, but you will also likely have to pass a test for minimum math and reading ability, such as the Compass Placement Test and/or supply ACT scores. You will also need to meet a minimum GPA set by the school (e.g. 3.0) and additionally take subjects such as algebra, biology and chemistry if you do not have these from high school. Some schools ask for a short essay (a page or so) detailing your personal educational and career goals, or similar – obviously they want to see if you have really thought the whole nursing thing through. You will also need to take nursing support courses in subjects such as “Foundations of Nursing” as soon as possible once you have applied. For an example of applying to a top nursing school, see our article here.

4. Map of California nursing schools

This map shows the locations of all of the California schools offering accredited nursing programs in 2011 – details correct at time of publication but please double-check. We are still working the kinks out of this map (the names of the nursing schools are not displaying properly for some reason), but you can see the general distribution – for instance, you can see quite a large cluster of nursing schools in southern California. Eventually we will compile a list of schools by region, so you can search on nursing schools in southern California, nursing schools in northern California, etc. For now though, this map should give you an approximate overview:

5. List of approved nursing schools in California

We have compiled a list of schools in California that have approved nursing programs, listed by the part of California (Northern, Central or Southern) and then by the Californian city each is located in. Please note that this information is believed correct at time of publication. Each school has its own particular conditions for enrollment, and some are private too – these details are not currently indicated here, so you should do your own research!

We now have separate pages for each area, click to visit the relevant page:

1. Nursing schools in Northern California

2. Nursing schools in Central California

3. Nursing schools in Southern California