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

Explore Your Nursing Degree Options Today!