Best colleges for nursing in California

    California State University-Fullerton ranks first in California for nursing value (#1 nationally, value score 94.8): graduates earn $119,353 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $5,115 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 33 California colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best nursing colleges in California

    California State University-Fullerton ranks first in California for nursing value (#1 nationally, value score 94.8): graduates earn $119,353 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $5,115 a year. 33 California colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $118,549 and the average net price is $13,861 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 33 California colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $118,549 and the average net price is $13,861 a year.
    • The highest nursing earnings in the state are at California State University-East Bay ($150,921), ranked #10 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at California State University-Los Angeles: $2,385 a year.
    Median earnings
    $118,549
    National: $85,171
    Median net price
    $13,861
    National: $18,014
    Median federal debt
    $18,751
    nursing graduates
    Public colleges
    20 of 33
    in this list

    33 colleges

    The California ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in California 1

      California State University-Fullerton

      Fullerton, CA · Public · #1 nationally

      94.8Value
      Earnings
      $119,353
      Net price
      $5,115
      Federal debt
      $12,500
      Graduation rate
      68%
    2. Rank in California 2

      California State University-Long Beach

      Long Beach, CA · Public · #2 nationally

      91.5Value
      Earnings
      $111,681
      Net price
      $9,426
      Federal debt
      $13,000
      Graduation rate
      70%
    3. Rank in California 3

      University of California-Irvine

      Irvine, CA · Public · #3 nationally

      91.2Value
      Earnings
      $119,502
      Net price
      $13,866
      Federal debt
      $11,000
      Graduation rate
      87%
    4. Rank in California 4

      San Diego State University

      San Diego, CA · Public · #4 nationally

      91.1Value
      Earnings
      $120,799
      Net price
      $13,243
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      78%
    5. Rank in California 5

      University of California-Los Angeles

      Los Angeles, CA · Public · #6 nationally

      90.0Value
      Earnings
      $118,566
      Net price
      $14,659
      Federal debt
      $14,500
      Graduation rate
      93%
    6. Rank in California 6

      California State University-Los Angeles

      Los Angeles, CA · Public · #7 nationally

      90.0Value
      Earnings
      $116,182
      Net price
      $2,385
      Federal debt
      $12,500
      Graduation rate
      55%
    7. Rank in California 7

      California State University-Fresno

      Fresno, CA · Public · #8 nationally

      89.9Value
      Earnings
      $111,278
      Net price
      $5,418
      Federal debt
      $12,125
      Graduation rate
      58%
    8. Rank in California 8

      Sonoma State University

      Rohnert Park, CA · Public · #10 nationally

      88.6Value
      Earnings
      $143,886
      Net price
      $10,759
      Federal debt
      $12,500
      Graduation rate
      55%
    9. Rank in California 9

      California State University-Monterey Bay

      Seaside, CA · Public · #12 nationally

      87.8Value
      Earnings
      $134,489
      Net price
      $13,861
      Federal debt
      $6,375
      Graduation rate
      63%
    10. Rank in California 10

      California State University-East Bay

      Hayward, CA · Public · #13 nationally

      87.7Value
      Earnings
      $150,921
      Net price
      $6,858
      Federal debt
      $18,751
      Graduation rate
      49%
    11. Rank in California 11

      California State University-Stanislaus

      Turlock, CA · Public · #14 nationally

      87.7Value
      Earnings
      $126,959
      Net price
      $3,565
      Federal debt
      $20,000
      Graduation rate
      52%
    12. Rank in California 12

      California State University-Northridge

      Northridge, CA · Public · #15 nationally

      87.7Value
      Earnings
      $116,613
      Net price
      $6,346
      Federal debt
      $18,750
      Graduation rate
      57%
    13. Rank in California 13

      San Francisco State University

      San Francisco, CA · Public · #16 nationally

      87.3Value
      Earnings
      $150,102
      Net price
      $9,803
      Federal debt
      $13,331
      Graduation rate
      50%
    14. Rank in California 14

      California State University-Sacramento

      Sacramento, CA · Public · #17 nationally

      87.3Value
      Earnings
      $129,960
      Net price
      $11,186
      Federal debt
      $11,000
      Graduation rate
      54%
    15. Rank in California 15

      California State University-Channel Islands

      Camarillo, CA · Public · #19 nationally

      86.3Value
      Earnings
      $112,691
      Net price
      $8,534
      Federal debt
      $16,500
      Graduation rate
      55%
    16. Rank in California 16

      California State University-San Bernardino

      San Bernardino, CA · Public · #21 nationally

      85.2Value
      Earnings
      $109,499
      Net price
      $3,946
      Federal debt
      $18,149
      Graduation rate
      53%
    17. Rank in California 17

      California State University-Dominguez Hills

      Carson, CA · Public · #23 nationally

      84.7Value
      Earnings
      $118,588
      Net price
      $7,244
      Federal debt
      $10,000
      Graduation rate
      42%
    18. Rank in California 18

      California State University-Chico

      Chico, CA · Public · #24 nationally

      83.3Value
      Earnings
      $117,543
      Net price
      $14,157
      Federal debt
      $17,477
      Graduation rate
      60%
    19. Rank in California 19

      California State University-San Marcos

      San Marcos, CA · Public · #30 nationally

      82.0Value
      Earnings
      $120,196
      Net price
      $10,939
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      55%
    20. Rank in California 20

      California State University-Bakersfield

      Bakersfield, CA · Public · #43 nationally

      77.5Value
      Earnings
      $102,298
      Net price
      $4,001
      Federal debt
      $22,375
      Graduation rate
      48%
    21. Rank in California 21

      Dominican University of California

      San Rafael, CA · Private nonprofit · #83 nationally

      70.2Value
      Earnings
      $149,622
      Net price
      $35,567
      Federal debt
      $26,243
      Graduation rate
      73%
    22. Rank in California 22

      University of San Francisco

      San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · #90 nationally

      69.5Value
      Earnings
      $143,356
      Net price
      $30,496
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      66%
    23. Rank in California 23

      Azusa Pacific University

      Azusa, CA · Private nonprofit · #91 nationally

      69.4Value
      Earnings
      $118,549
      Net price
      $22,597
      Federal debt
      $26,166
      Graduation rate
      63%
    24. Rank in California 24

      Fresno Pacific University

      Fresno, CA · Private nonprofit · #95 nationally

      68.5Value
      Earnings
      $112,178
      Net price
      $17,491
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      49%
    25. Rank in California 25

      Point Loma Nazarene University

      San Diego, CA · Private nonprofit · #139 nationally

      65.4Value
      Earnings
      $114,919
      Net price
      $40,555
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      77%
    26. Rank in California 26

      Vanguard University of Southern California

      Costa Mesa, CA · Private nonprofit · #144 nationally

      65.0Value
      Earnings
      $102,239
      Net price
      $23,231
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      55%
    27. Rank in California 27

      Mount Saint Mary's University-California

      Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · #150 nationally

      64.4Value
      Earnings
      $119,050
      Net price
      $27,235
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      56%
    28. Rank in California 28

      Pacific Union College

      Angwin, CA · Private nonprofit · #155 nationally

      64.0Value
      Earnings
      $140,542
      Net price
      $25,891
      Federal debt
      $29,584
      Graduation rate
      52%
    29. Rank in California 29

      Biola University

      La Mirada, CA · Private nonprofit · #191 nationally

      61.0Value
      Earnings
      $111,200
      Net price
      $32,530
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      68%
    30. Rank in California 30

      California Baptist University

      Riverside, CA · Private nonprofit · #211 nationally

      59.4Value
      Earnings
      $108,157
      Net price
      $24,138
      Federal debt
      $28,500
      Graduation rate
      60%
    31. Rank in California 31

      National University-California

      La Jolla, CA · Private nonprofit · #214 nationally

      59.0Value
      Earnings
      $114,413
      Net price
      $24,008
      Federal debt
      $25,604
      Graduation rate
      43%
    32. Rank in California 32

      Concordia University-Irvine

      Irvine, CA · Private nonprofit · #226 nationally

      58.0Value
      Earnings
      $105,657
      Net price
      $29,761
      Federal debt
      $20,312
      Graduation rate
      47%
    33. Rank in California 33

      Simpson University-California

      Redding, CA · Private nonprofit · #275 nationally

      54.5Value
      Earnings
      $113,623
      Net price
      $28,219
      Federal debt
      $25,500
      Graduation rate
      35%

    Method: the same value score as the national nursing ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about nursing colleges in California

    What are the best colleges for nursing in California?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 California colleges for nursing are California State University-Fullerton (value score 94.8), California State University-Long Beach (value score 91.5) and University of California-Irvine (value score 91.2). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which California college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?

    California State University-East Bay: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $150,921 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable nursing college in California on this list?

    California State University-Los Angeles has the lowest average net price of the ranked California colleges, $2,385 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many California colleges are ranked for nursing?

    33 California colleges have a nursing bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within California.