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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in California

20 Ranked Colleges
1,251 Degrees Awarded
$17,700 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

With 259,493 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, registered nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States.

Across California, there were 16,063 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,251 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $60,281 and $50,119 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in registered nursing. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality registered nursing programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the registered nursing program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

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

Top 20 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Registered Nursing (Income $0-$30k) in California

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 78 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723.

Read more about Registered Nursing at California State University - Los Angeles

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s registered nursing degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Registered Nursing Report

#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 61 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUDH are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full CSUDH Registered Nursing Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified masters’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #9 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California State University - Fullerton Registered Nursing Report

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #5 spot on the list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s registered nursing degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Fresno State

#5 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s registered nursing degrees to 116 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #5 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Long Beach are $17,784.

Full CSULB Registered Nursing Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Bakersfield are $18,437, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full CSUB Registered Nursing Report

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 35 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #11 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at San Diego State University

#21 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 12 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Bernardino are $17,936.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Registered Nursing Report

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 61 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Sacramento are $18,356.

Full California State University - Sacramento Registered Nursing Report

#11

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#8 in overall quality

San Jose State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Jose State is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 masters’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at San Jose State are $18,790, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Registered Nursing at San Jose State

#18 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 17 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree registered nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSM has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Marcos are $18,661, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at California State University - San Marcos

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#14 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 39 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Francisco State University are $17,944.

Full SFSU Registered Nursing Report

California State University - East Bay ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #0 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - East Bay are $17,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Cal State East Bay Registered Nursing Report

California State University - Chico ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 4 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Chico State are $18,802, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Chico State Registered Nursing Report

#16

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 47 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree registered nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, SSU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Sonoma State University are $18,890.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at Sonoma State University

#17

National University

La Jolla, California

National University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

National University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at National University are $15,480.

Read more about Registered Nursing at National University

#18

California Baptist University

Riverside, California
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s registered nursing degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california master’s degree registered nursing students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal Baptist are $14,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at California Baptist University

#19

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Point Loma Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. PLNU is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

PLNU also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at PLNU are $11,880, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Registered Nursing at PLNU

#20

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Azusa Pacific University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Registered Nursing Schools for a Master’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Azusa, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 189 diplomas to qualified masters’s registered nursing students in 2019-2020.

Azusa Pacific also took the #6 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Azusa Pacific are $16,571.

Read more about Registered Nursing at Azusa Pacific

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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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