by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for nursing practice students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 337 degrees in nursing practice to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Your choice of nursing practice school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Nursing Practice School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
The nursing practice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Practice Schools in California. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the nursing practice degrees they offer, see the list below.
It is hard to beat Samuel Merritt University if you want to pursue a degree in nursing practice. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Oakland.
There were approximately 21 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at Samuel Merritt University in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from Samuel Merritt University
It is difficult to beat University of California - Irvine if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing practice. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 18 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from University of California - IrvineBreak into one of the most high-demand occupations in the nation with your online MSN Family Nurse Practitioner track from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in MS in Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner from Southern New Hampshire University
University of California - Los Angeles is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in nursing practice. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were approximately 20 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from University of California - Los Angeles
Any student pursuing a degree in nursing practice has to look into California State University - Fullerton. Cal State Fullerton is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Fullerton. This university ranks 41st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 43 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from California State University - Fullerton
West Coast University - Orange County is a small private for-profit university located in the city of Anaheim.
There were about 23 nursing practice students who graduated with this degree at West Coast University - Orange County in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in nursing practice from West Coast University - Orange CountyExplore all the Best Nursing Practice Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 831 | 75 |
| Oregon | 587 | 40 |
| Nevada | 354 | 73 |
| Hawaii | 267 | 15 |
| Alaska | 167 | 6 |
Nursing Practice is one of 23 different types of Nursing programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 16,962 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 1,136 |
| Nursing Administration | 435 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 278 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 202 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 138 |
| Nursing Science | 136 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 130 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 59 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 38 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
