Get a Nursing Degree in California & Boost Your Nursing Career

Study Nursing at a Top School in Cali

California faces a serious nursing shortage like many other states, but has taken proactive steps to curtail those shortages. Those action measures are big benefits for student nurses. In the last few years the state has increased the number of RN education programs AND therefore been able to ramp up the number of new grads. This means that if you’re a prospective nursing student in any area of California your options for a degree program are much more flexible than they were a few years ago.

Tip: Urban areas and large metro areas are healthcare hotspots and often have many large hospitals including major Trauma Centers. Naturally these facilities attract the overwhelming majority of RNs, leaving rural and remote areas of the state wanting for good nurses.

CA State Nursing Scholarships and Loan Forgiveness Programs

The State of California funds the following key nursing loan forgiveness programs:

State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans for Education for Nursing Faculty – earn up to $25,000 in loan repayment money if you earn your BSN or MSN in Nursing Education AND commit to 3 years teaching in an accredited school of nursing in California.
State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans for Education for Nurses in State Facilities – earn up to $20,000 to pay back nursing student loans if you’re an RN or RN-to-be and willing to go to work full-time in a 24-hour state healthcare facility that suffers from a consistently low RN census.
Health Professions Education Foundation – nursing students enrolled in an Practical Nurse, Bachelors, Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Midwife, or Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program may be eligible for loan repayment if willing to work in a medically underserved facility following graduation.

Nursing Board

The California Board of Registered Nursing provides a motherlode of information relative to the following:

Nurse recruits
California financial aid strategies for student nurses
RN and LPN Licensure and renewal
BRN approved RN schools
Current nursing regulations in CA
and much more

California does not participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) so if you seek nursing jobs outside the state expect to be required to apply for that state’s nursing license.

Nursing Associations in California

A number of popular nursing associations maintain active chapters or ranches within the state. Use nursing associations like these for professional and educational support, networking, access to national and regional conferences, and as advocate for your nursing practice.

California Nurses Association
California Nursing Students’ Association
Association of California Nurse Leaders
California Nurse Midwives Association
California Association of Nurse Anesthetists
and more

Salaries for California Nurses

The average annual salary for a staff RN in California is $71,000 and for an LPN, $46,000.*

List of Campus-Based Nursing Schools in CA Accredited By the CCNE or the NLNAC

Azusa Pacific University
Biola University
California Baptist University
California State University-Chico
California State University-Bakersfield
California State University-Fresno
California State University-Dominguez Hills
California State University-Fullerton
California State University-Hayward
California State University-Long Beach
California State University-Los Angeles
California State University-Northridge
California State University-Sacramento
California State University-San Bernardino
California State University-Stanislaus
Cerritos Community College
Chaffey College
College of Marin
College of the Canyons
College of the Desert
Cypress College
Dominican University of California
El Camino Community College
Golden West College
Grossmont/Cuyamaca Community College District
Holy Names University
Humboldt State University
Loma Linda University
Long Beach City College
Los Angeles Harbor College
Los Angeles Pierce College
Los Angeles Valley College
Monterey Peninsula College
Moorpark College
Mount Saint Mary’s College
National University
Ohlone College
Pacific Union College
Palomar College
Point Loma Nazarene University
Riverside Community College
Saddleback College
Samuel Merritt College
San Bernardino Valley College
San Diego City College
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Joaquin Delta College
San Jose/Evergreen Community College District
San Jose State University
Santa Ana College
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Monica College
Sonoma State University
Southwestern College
University of California-Los Angeles
University of California-San Francisco
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
Western University of Health Sciences

*Indeed.com