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2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

49 Ranked Colleges
8,469 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 313,362 nursing students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, nursing graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $67,065 and had an average of $26,282 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 18,266 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $87,508 and $30,286 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,469 nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 49 colleges that offer a degree in nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality nursing programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the nursing program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in California

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 171 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Cal State LA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 130 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at CSUDH

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Stanislaus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 135 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stan State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at Stan State

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 186 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Fresno

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 295 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Nursing Report

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at UCLA

University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at UC Irvine

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Nursing at CSUB

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 236 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Nursing at CSULB

California State University - Northridge came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at CSUN

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

With a ranking of #11, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 224 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at San Diego State University

California State University - Sacramento came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 253 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at California State University - Sacramento

#13

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #13, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Nursing Report

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Monterey Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 68 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUMB is $7,688 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at CSUMB

California State University - San Marcos ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 345 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSM has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Marcos is $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at CSUSM

California State University - East Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,036 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Nursing Report

#17

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 170 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Nursing at San Jose State University

#18

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 114 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Nursing at San Francisco State University

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Camarillo, California, and it awarded 92 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUCI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $10,131 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Channel Islands

California State University - Chico landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chico, California, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Nursing at California State University - Chico

#21

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, SSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $12,263 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Nursing at SSU

#22

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

University of Phoenix - California landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Costa Mesa, California, this small private for-profit school handed out 203 degrees to qualified bachelors’s nursing students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,680 for california bachelor’s degree nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UOPX - California.

Full University of Phoenix - California Nursing Report

Vanguard University of Southern California landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Costa Mesa, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s nursing degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Vanguard is $15,222 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanguard Nursing Report

#24

Pacific Union College

Angwin, California

Pacific Union College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Pacific Union College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Angwin, California. It awarded 39 bachelors’s nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,901 for California Bachelor’s Degree Nursing students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pacific Union College.

Read more about Nursing at PUC

#25

American University of Health Sciences

Signal Hill, California

With a ranking of #25, American University of Health Sciences did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Nursing Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. American University of Health Sciences is located in Signal Hill, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s nursing degrees to qualified students.

AUHS Signal Hill also took the #9 spot in our “Best Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

Read more about Nursing at AUHS Signal Hill

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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