2023 Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California
22
Ranked Colleges
1,170
Degrees Awarded
$27,000
Avg Cost*
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 266,651 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, registered nursing is the 3rd most popular major in the United States.
Across California, there were 15,938 registered nursing graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in registered nursing. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great registered nursing programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the registered nursing program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Registered Nursing Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for california master’s degree vets studying registered nursing.
Top 22 Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 111 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.According to our most recent data, California State University - Long Beach supports 40,069 students, and 822 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 310 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,845. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.
Full CSULB Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #2 spot on the list. PLNU is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 28 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
PLNU also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6.Among the 4,616 students enrolled at Point Loma Nazarene University, 334 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 219 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,825. On top of their other funding sources, 76 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Point Loma Nazarene University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.
Full Point Loma Nazarene University Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend National University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s. National University is a fairly large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 18 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying registered nursing list, National University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, National University supports 18,070 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 12 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11.According to our most recent data, San Diego State University supports 36,334 students, and 1,433 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 853 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at San Diego State University]](/colleges/san-diego-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - San Marcos. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s. California State University - San Marcos is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 masters’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 16,367 students enrolled at California State University - San Marcos were GI Bill® students, of which 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,056. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Francisco did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s registered nursing degrees to 153 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying registered nursing list, UCSF has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Among the 3,201 students enrolled at UCSF, 44 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 29 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $27,260. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - San Francisco Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #7, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 25 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.According to our most recent data, San Jose State University supports 36,208 students, and 660 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 384 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,909. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. San Jose State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full San Jose State University Veteran Student Life Report
San Francisco State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 49 degrees to qualified masters’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
SFSU also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12.Our most recent data shows that 950 of the 27,349 students enrolled at San Francisco State University were GI Bill® students, of which 536 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,581. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SFSU]](/colleges/san-francisco-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 masters’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7.According to our most recent data, Cal State Fullerton supports 42,051 students, and 748 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 342 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,729. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cal State Fullerton does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s registered nursing degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10.Of the 26,745 students enrolled at Cal State LA, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,700. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #11, Samuel Merritt University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. Samuel Merritt University is located in Oakland, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 masters’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
Samuel Merritt University also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1.Our most recent data shows that 44 of the 2,050 students enrolled at Samuel Merritt University were GI Bill® students, of which 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,284. In addition to receiving other benefits, 12 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Samuel Merritt University Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 61 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying registered nursing list, Sac State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Sacramento supports 32,293 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 23 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,555. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Chico ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.According to our most recent data, Chico State supports 16,746 students, and 354 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 166 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,098. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
California Baptist University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Cal Baptist is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 80 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Baptist not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.According to our most recent data, Cal Baptist supports 11,317 students, and 532 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 390 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,716. On top of their other funding sources, 162 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at California Baptist University]](/colleges/california-baptist-university/student-life/veterans/)
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 15 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying registered nursing list, Stan State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 163 of the 11,163 students enrolled at California State University - Stanislaus were GI Bill® students, of which 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,287. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Stan State Veteran Student Life Report
Azusa Pacific University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. Azusa Pacific is located in Azusa, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 162 masters’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
Azusa Pacific also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5.Our most recent data shows that 58 of the 9,006 students enrolled at Azusa Pacific University were GI Bill® students, of which 44 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,529. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Azusa Pacific Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 61 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUDH also took the #15 spot in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Of the 18,687 students enrolled at CSUDH, 267 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 96 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,463. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.
Full California State University - Dominguez Hills Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s registered nursing degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california master’s degree vets studying registered nursing list, CSUSB has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 400 of the 19,689 students enrolled at CSUSB were GI Bill® students, of which 170 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,274. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CSUSB does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Veteran Student Life Report
Sonoma State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 30 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Among the 8,018 students enrolled at SSU, 145 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 64 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,268. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SSU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
California State University - East Bay came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified masters’s registered nursing students in 2020-2021.
Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list.Of the 16,253 students enrolled at California State University - East Bay, 32 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 16 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,956. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - East Bay offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - East Bay Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s registered nursing degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
CSUB also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21.According to our most recent data, CSUB supports 11,745 students, and 210 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 103 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,437. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full CSUB Veteran Student Life Report
Western University of Health Sciences ranked #22 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Registered Nursing for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 74 masters’s registered nursing degrees in 2020-2021.
Western University of Health Sciences also made our “Best Registered Nursing Master’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3.According to our most recent data, Western University of Health Sciences supports 3,813 students, and 46 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 26 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $20,467. To help with additional expenses, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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.
Credits
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