RN Programs in California

Find the best RN programs in California in 2024, with insights on requirements, salary, and job outlook.
RN Programs in California

If you are looking for a career in California that offers job stability, an excellent salary, and the opportunity to work in the healthcare industry, consider a career as a Registered Nurse (RN). RNs in California earn an average salary of $133,340 per year, one of the highest wages for RNs in the U.S., and are in high demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Requirements to Become an RN in California

One of the fastest tracks to becoming an RN in California is to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). ADN programs typically take two years to complete and provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to pass the NCLEX-RN exam and obtain an entry-level RN position.

The NCLEX-RN is a two-part exam consisting of a written test and a clinical evaluation, developed and administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).

You must pass both parts of the exam to obtain an RN license from the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

Accredited RN Programs in California

California offers many excellent accredited RN programs. When choosing one, consider your needs and preferences, such as program length, cost, location, and accreditation. Some top schools include:

  1. Allan Hancock College

    800 S College Dr, Santa Maria, CA 93454
    (805) 922-6966
  2. American Career College

    4021 Rosewood Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
    (323) 668-7555
  3. American River College

    4700 College Oak Dr, Sacramento, CA 95841
    (916) 484-8011
  4. American University of Health Sciences

    1600 E Hill St, Signal Hill, CA 90755
    (562) 988-2278
  5. Antelope Valley College

    3041 W Ave K, Lancaster, CA 93536
    (661) 722-6300
  6. Azusa Pacific University

    901 E Alosta Ave, Azusa, CA 91702
    (626) 969-3434
  7. Bakersfield College

    1801 Panorama Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93305
    (661) 395-4011
  8. Biola University

    13800 Biola Ave, La Mirada, CA 90639
    (562) 903-6000
  9. Butte College

    3536 Butte Campus Dr, Oroville, CA 95965
    (530) 895-2511
  10. Cabrillo College

    6500 Soquel Dr, Aptos, CA 95003
    (831) 479-6100
  11. California Baptist University

    8432 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92504
    (951) 689-5771
  12. California Career College

    7003 Owensmouth Ave, Canoga Park, CA 91303
    (818) 710-1310
  13. California State University, Bakersfield

    9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93311
    (661) 654-3036
  14. California State University, Channel Islands

    1 University Dr, Camarillo, CA 93012
    (805) 437-8400
  15. California State University, Chico

    400 W 1st St, Chico, CA 95929
    (530) 898-4636
  16. California State University, East Bay

    25800 Carlos Bee Blvd, Hayward, CA 94542
    (510) 885-3000
  17. California State University, Fresno

    5241 N Maple Ave, Fresno, CA 93740
    (559) 278-4240
  18. California State University, Fullerton

    800 N State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92831
    (657) 278-2011
  19. California State University, Long Beach

    1250 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90840
    (562) 985-4111
  20. California State University, Los Angeles

    5151 State University Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90032
    (323) 343-3000
  21. California State University, Sacramento

    6000 Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA 95819
    (916) 278-6011
  22. California State University, San Bernardino

    5500 University Pkwy, San Bernardino, CA 92407
    (909) 537-5000
  23. California State University, San Marcos

    333 S Twin Oaks Valley Rd, San Marcos, CA 92096
    (760) 750-4000
  24. California State University, Stanislaus

    1 University Cir, Turlock, CA 95382
    (209) 667-3122
  25. Career Care Institute

    43770 15th St W STE 115, Lancaster, CA 93534
    (661) 942-6204
  26. Cerritos College

    11110 Alondra Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650
    (562) 860-2451
  27. Chabot College

    25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545
    (510) 723-6600
  28. Chaffey College

    5885 Haven Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737
    (909) 652-6000
  29. Chamberlain University College of Nursing

    10971 Sun Center Dr, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
    (877) 751-5783
  30. Charles Drew University

    1731 E 120th St, Los Angeles, CA 90059
    (323) 563-4800
  31. Citrus College

    1000 W Foothill Blvd, Glendora, CA 91741
    (626) 963-0323
  32. City College of San Francisco

    50 Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA 94112
    (415) 239-3000
  33. CNI College

    1610 E St Andrew Pl Suit 200, Santa Ana, CA 92705
    (888) 976-5120
  34. College of Marin

    835 College Ave, Kentfield, CA 94904
    (415) 457-8811
  35. College of San Mateo

    1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402
    (650) 574-6161
  36. College of the Canyons

    26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355
    (661) 259-7800
  37. College of the Desert

    43500 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260
    (760) 346-8041
  38. College of the Redwoods

    7351 Tompkins Hill Rd, Eureka, CA 95501
    (707) 476-4100
  39. College of the Sequoias

    915 S Mooney Blvd, Visalia, CA 93277
    (559) 730-3700
  40. College of the Siskiyous

    800 College Ave, Weed, CA 96094
    (530) 938-5555
  41. Compton College

    1111 E Artesia Blvd, Compton, CA 90221
    (310) 900-1600
  42. Concordia University Irvine

    1530 Concordia, Irvine, CA 92612
    (800) 229-1200
  43. Contra Costa College

    2600 Mission Bell Dr, San Pablo, CA 94806
    (510) 235-7800
  44. Copper Mountain College

    6162 Rotary Way, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
    (760) 366-3791
  45. Cuesta College

    CA-1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
    (805) 546-3100
  46. Cypress College

    9200 Valley View St, Cypress, CA 90630
    (714) 484-7000
  47. De Anza College

    21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014
    (408) 864-5300
  48. Dominican University of California

    50 Acacia Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901
    (415) 457-4440
  49. East Los Angeles College

    1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754
    (323) 265-8650
  50. El Camino College

    16007 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA 90506
    (310) 532-3670
  51. Evergreen Valley College

    3095 Yerba Buena Rd, San Jose, CA 95135
    (408) 274-7900
  52. Fresno City College

    1101 E University Ave, Fresno, CA 93741
    (559) 442-4600
  53. Gavilan College

    5055 Santa Teresa Blvd, Gilroy, CA 95020
    (408) 848-4800
  54. Glendale Career College

    240 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA 91203
    (800) 639-3384
  55. Glendale Community College

    1500 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91208
    (818) 240-1000
  56. Golden West College

    15744 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
    (714) 892-7711
  57. Grossmont College

    8800 Grossmont College Dr, El Cajon, CA 92020
    (619) 644-7000
  58. Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts

    4747 N First St Ste 192, Fresno, CA 93726
    (559) 222-1903
  59. Hartnell College

    411 Central Ave, Salinas, CA 93901
    (831) 755-6700
  60. Holy Names University

    3500 Mountain Blvd, Oakland, CA 94619
    (510) 436-1000
  61. Imperial Valley College

    380 E Aten Rd, Imperial, CA 92251
    (760) 352-8320
  62. LA City College

    855 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029
    (323) 953-4000
  63. Loma Linda University

    11131 Anderson St, Loma Linda, CA 92354
    (909) 558-4000
  64. Long Beach City College

    4271 Clark Ave #4153, Long Beach, CA 90808
    (562) 938-4811
  65. Los Angeles County College of Nursing & Allied Health

    1237 N Mission Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90033
    (323) 226-4911
  66. Los Angeles Harbor College

    1111 Figueroa Pl, Wilmington, CA 90744
    (310) 233-4000
  67. Los Angeles Mission College

    13356 Eldridge Ave, Sylmar, CA 91342
    (818) 364-7600
  68. Los Angeles Southwest College

    1600 W Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles, CA 90047
    (323) 241-5321
  69. Los Angeles Trade Technical College

    400 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015
    (213) 763-7000
  70. Los Angeles Valley College

    5800 Fulton Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401
    (818) 947-2600
  71. Los Medanos College

    2700 E Leland Rd, Pittsburg, CA 94565
    (925) 439-2181
  72. Mendocino College

    1000 Hensley Creek Rd, Ukiah, CA 95482
    (707) 468-3000
  73. Merced College

    3600 M St, Merced, CA 95348
    (209) 384-6000
  74. Merritt College

    12500 Campus Dr, Oakland, CA 94619
    (510) 531-4911
  75. Mira Costa College

    1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside, CA 92056
    (760) 757-2121
  76. Mission College

    3000 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054
    (408) 855-5083
  77. Modesto Junior College

    435 College Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
    (209) 575-6550
  78. Monterey Peninsula College

    980 Fremont St, Monterey, CA 93940
    (831) 646-4000
  79. Moorpark College

    7075 Campus Rd, Moorpark, CA 93021
    (805) 378-1400
  80. Mount St. Mary's University - Los Angeles

    12001 Chalon Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
    (310) 954-4250
  81. Mt. San Antonio College

    1100 N Grand Ave, Walnut, CA 91789
    (909) 274-7500
  82. Mt. San Jacinto College

    Mt. San Jacinto College San Jacinto, San Jacinto, CA 92583
    (951) 487-6752
  83. Napa Valley College

    2277 Napa Vallejo Hwy, Napa, CA 94558
    (707) 253-3000
  84. National University

    9388 Lightwave Ave, San Diego, CA 92123
    (858) 541-7700
  85. Ohlone College

    43600 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539
    (510) 659-6000
  86. Pacific Union College

    One Angwin Ave, Angwin, CA 94508
    (707) 965-6311
  87. Palomar College

    1140 W Mission Rd, San Marcos, CA 92069
    (760) 744-1150
  88. Pasadena City College

    1570 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106
    (626) 585-7123
  89. Pierce College

    6201 Winnetka Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
    (818) 719-6404
  90. Point Loma Nazarene University

    3900 Lomaland Dr, San Diego, CA 92106
    (619) 849-2200
  91. Porterville College

    100 E College Ave, Porterville, CA 93257
    (559) 791-2200
  92. Rio Hondo College

    3600 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601
    (562) 692-0921
  93. Riverside City College

    4800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92506
    (951) 222-8000
  94. Sacramento City College

    3835 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822
    (916) 558-2351
  95. Saddleback College

    28000 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
    (949) 582-4500
  96. Samuel Merritt University

    3100 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
    (510) 869-6511
  97. San Bernardino Valley College

    701 S Mt Vernon Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92410
    (909) 384-4400
  98. San Diego City College

    1313 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101
    (619) 388-3400
  99. San Diego State University

    5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182
    (619) 594-5200
  100. San Francisco State University

    1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132
    (415) 338-1111
  101. San Joaquin Delta College

    5151 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95207
    (209) 954-5151
  102. San Joaquin Valley College

    8344 W Mineral King Ave, Visalia, CA 93291
    (866) 544-7898
  103. San Jose State University

    1 Washington Sq, San Jose, CA 95192
    (408) 924-3131
  104. Santa Ana College

    1530 W 17th St, Santa Ana, CA 92706
    (714) 564-6005
  105. Santa Barbara City College

    721 Cliff Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93109
    (805) 965-0581
  106. Santa Monica College

    1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405
    (310) 434-4000
  107. Santa Rosa Junior College

    1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
    (707) 527-4011
  108. Shasta College

    11555 Old Oregon Trail, Redding, CA 96003
    (530) 242-7500
  109. Sierra College

    5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677
    (916) 624-3333
  110. Simpson University

    2211 College View Dr, Redding, CA 96003
    (530) 224-5600
  111. Solano Community College

    4000 Suisun Valley Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534
    (707) 864-7000
  112. Sonoma State University

    1801 E Cotati Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
    (707) 664-2880
  113. Southwestern College

    900 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91910
    (619) 421-6700
  114. Stanbridge University

    2041 Business Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92612
    (888) 789-6208
  115. UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School Of Nursing

    2570 48th St, Sacramento, CA 95817
    (916) 734-2145
  116. Unitek College

    4670 Auto Mall Pkwy, Fremont, CA 94538
    (888) 775-1514
  117. University of California, Irvine

    N/A, Irvine, CA 92697
    (949) 824-5011
  118. University of California, Los Angeles

    N/A, Los Angeles, CA 90095
    (310) 825-4321
  119. University of California, San Francisco

    505 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143
    (415) 476-9000
  120. University of Phoenix

    5330 Pirrone Rd, Salida, CA 95368
    (800) 266-2107
  121. University of San Diego

    5998 Alcala Park Way, San Diego, CA 92110
    (619) 260-4600
  122. University of San Francisco

    2130 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117
    (415) 422-5555
  123. Vanguard University

    55 Fair Dr, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
    (714) 556-3610
  124. Ventura College

    4667 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA 93003
    (805) 289-6000
  125. Weimar Institute

    20601 W Paoli Ln, Colfax, CA 95713
    (530) 422-7950
  126. West Coast University

    12215 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606
    (818) 299-5500
  127. West Hills College Lemoore

    555 College Ave, Lemoore, CA 93245
    (559) 925-3000
  128. Western University of Health Sciences

    309 E 2nd St, Pomona, CA 91766
    (909) 623-6116
  129. Xavier College

    1340 N El Dorado St, Stockton, CA 95202
    (209) 941-0968
  130. Yuba College

    2088 N Beale Rd, Marysville, CA 95901
    (530) 741-6700

RN Job Outlook and Salary in California

California RNs are in high demand, with Projections Central forecasting a 10.8% job growth rate from 2020 to 2030. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs in California earn an average annual salary of $133,340 per year, equivalent to $64.1 per hour.

The following table shows the total number of RNs employed in California, and their average wage and salary, by area.

AreaTotal EmploymentAvg Hourly WageAvg Annual Salary
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward41,970$79.21$164,760
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara20,150$76.94$160,020
Vallejo-Fairfield3,790$76.12$158,340
Santa Rosa3,490$72.67$151,150
Santa Cruz-Watsonville1,500$72$149,750
Napa1,420$70.38$146,400
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade23,180$69.82$145,230
Modesto4,780$66.59$138,510
Stockton-Lodi4,760$62.68$130,370
Chico2,280$60.78$126,420
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim111,660$60.26$125,350
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande1,820$60.31$125,430
Fresno8,340$59.31$123,370
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura5,280$58.78$122,260
Yuba City950$58.79$122,290
Redding1,570$58.53$121,730
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario31,270$58.4$121,470
Salinas2,970$58.19$121,030
Bakersfield5,190$56.81$118,170
Merced860$56.6$117,730
San Diego-Carlsbad28,890$56.65$117,830
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara3,940$55.37$115,170
Visalia-Porterville2,640$54.77$113,920
El Centro820$47.73$99,280

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2022

California Board of Registered Nursing

The California Board of Registered Nursing is the primary resource for RNs in California for all nursing-related questions and concerns.

California Board of Registered Nursing

1747 N Market Blvd #150, Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 322-3350
(916) 574-8637

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