Best colleges for nursing in California
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in nursing, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for nursing in California53 schools
53 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in California.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in nursing, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade B · Top 46%
- 2
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 3
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 4
Angeles College
Los Angeles, CA · Private for-profitTop 4% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade B-
- 5
Unitek College
Fremont, CA · Private for-profitTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A · Top 7%
- 6
Career Networks Institute
Santa Ana, CA · Private for-profitTop 5% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 7
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 8
Stanbridge University
Irvine, CA · Private for-profitExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 9
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA · PublicExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 10
Dominican University of California
San Rafael, CA · Private nonprofitTop 6% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 11
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofitTop 5% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 12
Glendale Career College
Glendale, CA · Private for-profitTop 6% for low debt
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 13
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, CA · Private nonprofitExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade B-
- 14
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, CA · Private nonprofitTop 12% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 15
West Coast University-Orange County
Anaheim, CA · Private for-profitTop 2% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 16
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA · PublicTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 17
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA · PublicTop 7% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 18
Biola University
La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofitTop 24% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 19
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, CA · Private nonprofitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade B · Top 36%
- 20
Pacific Union College
Angwin, CA · Private nonprofitTop 14% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade C+
- 21
Pacific College
Costa Mesa, CA · Private for-profitTop 15% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade B
- 22
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts
San Jose, CA · Private for-profitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade B
- 23
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA · PublicTop 20% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 24Tie
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA · PublicTop 8% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A+ · Top 3%
- 24Tie
California State University-Stanislaus
Turlock, CA · PublicTop 6% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in nursing
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
Compare cost and outcomes
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 16
- Arizona 10
- Arkansas 14
- Colorado 16
- Connecticut 17
- Delaware 3
- District of Columbia 6
- Florida 35
- Georgia 37
- Hawaii 4
- Idaho 5
- Illinois 33
- Indiana 30
- Iowa 19
- Kansas 18
- Kentucky 20
- Louisiana 17
- Maine 9
- Maryland 12
- Massachusetts 24
- Michigan 28
- Minnesota 25
- Mississippi 8
- Missouri 36
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 10
- Nevada 6
- New Hampshire 9
- New Jersey 23
- New Mexico 7
- New York 58
- North Carolina 33
- North Dakota 7
- Ohio 64
- Oklahoma 17
- Oregon 6
- Pennsylvania 68
- Puerto Rico 33
- Rhode Island 5
- South Carolina 20
- South Dakota 7
- Tennessee 31
- Texas 52
- Utah 14
- Vermont 3
- Virginia 33
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 15
- Wisconsin 24