BSN programs in California
45 BSN programs compared on what happens after graduation: first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates, what a year costs, what graduates owe and what they earn.
- 88.7%
- of first-time test-takers from California BSN programs passed the NCLEX-RN, 2024/2025 (national BSN rate: 87.6%, 2025)
- 44
- programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers over three years, so their pass rate is ranked; 1 more are shown without a rank
- $140,270
- median yearly pay for registered nurses in California, May 2025 (BLS)
What the data shows
- Spread between programs. Among the 44 programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers, three-year pass rates run from 66.7% (Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science) to 100.0% (William Jessup University), a gap of 33.3 points.
- Against the national rate. BSN graduates in California beat the national first-time rate of 87.6% by 1.1 points. Programs here passed 88.7% of 8,719 first-time test-takers in the latest year each reported (2024/2025).
- Lowest net price with an above-average pass rate. California State University-Los Angeles has the lowest average net price ($2,385 a year) of the 26 ranked programs that were at or above the state's pooled pass rate of 88.6%.
- Direction of travel. 16 of 44 programs reported a lower first-time pass rate in their latest year than in their earliest of the three years shown (2022/2023 to 2024/2025 for most).
44 BSN programs ranked by first-time pass rate
Ordered by the pass rate pooled over the program's last three reporting years. The dots show each year, newest in blue; the vertical line marks the California average for the latest year.
| Program | First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | Test-takers | Net price a year | Median loan debt | Pay 1 year out | Graduation rate | Accredited by | Online option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Jessup University | 100.0%2024/2025: 100.0% | 25 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, Public | 98.7%2022/2023: 97.5% · 2023/2024: 100.0% · 2024/2025: 98.8% | 462 | $9,426 | $13,000 | $104,884 | 70% | CCNE | No |
| Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, Public | 98.5%2022/2023: 100.0% · 2023/2024: 100.0% · 2024/2025: 95.7% | 69 | $10,759 | $12,500 | $134,423 | 57% | CCNE | No |
| Concordia University-IrvineIrvine, Private | 96.8%2022/2023: 95.9% · 2023/2024: 99.2% · 2024/2025: 95.1% | 375 | $29,761 | $20,312 | $107,439 | 53% | CCNE | Yes |
| California State University-FullertonFullerton, Public | 96.7%2022/2023: 96.9% · 2023/2024: 98.5% · 2024/2025: 94.9% | 210 | $5,115 | $12,500 | $110,306 | 69% | CCNE | No |
| Simpson UniversityRedding, Private | 96.7%2022/2023: 95.0% · 2023/2024: 100.0% · 2024/2025: 95.4% | 150 | $28,219 | $25,500 | $113,707 | 41% | CCNE | No |
| California State University-SacramentoSacramento, Public | 96.6%2022/2023: 94.8% · 2023/2024: 97.8% · 2024/2025: 96.6% | 380 | $11,186 | $11,000 | $132,168 | 55% | CCNE | No |
| California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, Public | 96.1%2022/2023: 93.1% · 2023/2024: 99.0% · 2024/2025: 96.1% | 304 | $2,385 | $12,500 | $104,058 | 54% | CCNE | No |
| Stanbridge UniversityIrvine, For-profit | 96.0%2023/2024: 100.0% · 2024/2025: 95.2% | 400 | $25,124 | $43,084 | $110,463 | 57% | CCNE | Partly |
| California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, Public | 95.7%2022/2023: 95.8% · 2023/2024: 97.1% · 2024/2025: 94.1% | 372 | $3,946 | $18,149 | $100,101 | 54% | CCNE | No |
| California State University-BakersfieldBakersfield, Public | 95.5%2022/2023: 96.6% · 2023/2024: 95.7% · 2024/2025: 93.8% | 200 | $4,001 | $22,375 | $102,135 | 49% | CCNE | No |
| Point Loma Nazarene UniversitySan Diego, Private | 94.0%2022/2023: 88.2% · 2023/2024: 98.6% · 2024/2025: 96.3% | 200 | $40,555 | $25,000 | $104,802 | 77% | CCNE | Partly |
| California State University-StanislausTurlock, Public | 93.9%2022/2023: 94.9% · 2023/2024: 94.2% · 2024/2025: 92.5% | 297 | $3,565 | $20,000 | $126,532 | 53% | CCNE | Partly |
| California State University-ChicoChico, Public | 93.7%2022/2023: 90.5% · 2023/2024: 98.5% · 2024/2025: 93.2% | 237 | $14,157 | $17,477 | $114,417 | 62% | CCNE | No |
| San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, Public | 93.6%2022/2023: 90.8% · 2023/2024: 99.1% · 2024/2025: 92.9% | 423 | $14,241 | $14,725 | – | 68% | CCNE | No |
| California State University-FresnoFresno, Public | 93.4%2022/2023: 89.4% · 2023/2024: 96.5% · 2024/2025: 94.7% | 362 | $5,418 | $12,125 | $101,988 | 58% | CCNE | No |
| Angeles CollegeLos Angeles, For-profit | 93.3%2023/2024: 100.0% · 2024/2025: 90.5% | 60 | $27,587 | – | – | 90% | CCNE | No |
| California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, Public | 93.3%2022/2023: 89.8% · 2023/2024: 95.6% · 2024/2025: 95.2% | 628 | $10,939 | $25,000 | $110,156 | 55% | CCNE | Partly |
| California State University-Channel IslandsCamarillo, Public | 91.8%2022/2023: 94.7% · 2023/2024: 92.9% · 2024/2025: 86.0% | 196 | $8,534 | $16,500 | $107,988 | 53% | CCNE | No |
| San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, Public | 91.5%2022/2023: 88.4% · 2023/2024: 95.5% · 2024/2025: 91.0% | 472 | $13,243 | $15,000 | $111,312 | 77% | CCNE | No |
| University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, Public | 91.4%2022/2023: 88.9% · 2023/2024: 93.6% · 2024/2025: 92.2% | 152 | $14,659 | $14,500 | $98,398 | 93% | CCNE | No |
| University of California-IrvineIrvine, Public | 91.0%2022/2023: 86.0% · 2023/2024: 95.8% · 2024/2025: 91.3% | 144 | $13,866 | $11,000 | $95,269 | 87% | CCNE | No |
| California State University-East BayHayward, Public | 90.4%2022/2023: 85.7% · 2023/2024: 98.7% · 2024/2025: 86.8% | 228 | $6,858 | $18,751 | $139,123 | 48% | CCNE | No |
| California State University-NorthridgeNorthridge, Public | 90.0%2022/2023: 89.9% · 2023/2024: 96.3% · 2024/2025: 85.5% | 271 | $6,346 | $18,750 | $107,276 | 57% | CCNE | Partly |
| University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, Private | 90.0%2022/2023: 86.5% · 2023/2024: 94.0% · 2024/2025: 89.5% | 778 | $30,496 | $25,000 | $120,438 | 68% | CCNE | No |
| American University of Health SciencesSignal Hill, For-profit | 88.7%2022/2023: 84.3% · 2023/2024: 90.4% · 2024/2025: 91.0% | 256 | – | $43,832 | $95,423 | – | CCNE | No |
| Chamberlain University-CaliforniaRancho Cordova, For-profit | 88.2%2022/2023: 88.1% · 2023/2024: 91.3% · 2024/2025: 85.2% | 670 | $46,658 | $21,656 | $89,974 | – | – | No |
| West Coast University-OntarioOntario, For-profit | 88.0%2022/2023: 81.1% · 2023/2024: 92.9% · 2024/2025: 90.0% | 8,884 | $47,072 | $34,500 | $100,459 | 47% | – | No |
| San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, Public | 87.7%2022/2023: 85.4% · 2023/2024: 95.7% · 2024/2025: 81.8% | 285 | $9,803 | $13,331 | $145,008 | 50% | CCNE | No |
| California Baptist UniversityRiverside, Private | 87.6%2022/2023: 85.5% · 2023/2024: 91.5% · 2024/2025: 86.6% | 598 | $24,138 | $28,500 | $99,363 | 61% | CCNE | Partly |
| Vanguard University of Southern CaliforniaCosta Mesa, Private | 87.6%2022/2023: 80.0% · 2023/2024: 87.8% · 2024/2025: 96.2% | 97 | $23,231 | $19,500 | $100,785 | 56% | CCNE | Partly |
| Biola UniversityLa Mirada, Private | 87.3%2022/2023: 82.3% · 2023/2024: 89.1% · 2024/2025: 90.5% | 189 | $32,530 | $27,000 | $100,604 | 68% | CCNE | No |
| Gurnick Academy of Medical ArtsSan Jose, For-profit | 87.3%2022/2023: 87.8% · 2023/2024: 78.6% · 2024/2025: 93.4% | 259 | $33,054 | $35,045 | $126,893 | 72% | – | No |
| Arizona College of Nursing-OntarioOntario, For-profit | 87.1%2023/2024: 100.0% · 2024/2025: 85.1% | 85 | – | $42,416 | $85,460 | – | – | No |
| CNI College | 85.8%2023/2024: 93.5% · 2024/2025: 82.4% | 253 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mount Saint Mary's UniversityLos Angeles, Private | 85.8%2022/2023: 81.7% · 2023/2024: 91.4% · 2024/2025: 84.1% | 556 | $27,235 | $25,000 | $104,483 | 55% | CCNE | Partly |
| Unitek CollegeFremont, For-profit | 85.4%2022/2023: 81.2% · 2023/2024: 88.2% · 2024/2025: 86.3% | 950 | $27,942 | $41,195 | $143,152 | 73% | CCNE | No |
| National UniversitySan Diego, Private | 85.0%2022/2023: 75.8% · 2023/2024: 91.4% · 2024/2025: 87.8% | 681 | $24,008 | $25,604 | $108,706 | 38% | CCNE | Partly |
| Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, Private | 83.6%2022/2023: 80.0% · 2023/2024: 89.2% · 2024/2025: 82.2% | 1,467 | $22,597 | $26,166 | $106,669 | 62% | CCNE | No |
| Samuel Merritt UniversityOakland, Private | 82.3%2022/2023: 82.0% · 2023/2024: 85.8% · 2024/2025: 79.2% | 1,307 | – | $20,825 | $138,536 | – | CCNE | Partly |
| Dominican University of CaliforniaSan Rafael, Private | 79.3%2022/2023: 71.9% · 2023/2024: 89.0% · 2024/2025: 78.2% | 381 | $35,567 | $26,243 | $128,516 | 75% | CCNE | No |
| Fresno Pacific UniversityFresno, Private | 74.4%2023/2024: 64.3% · 2024/2025: 79.3% | 43 | $17,491 | $25,000 | – | 50% | CCNE | No |
| University of Massachusetts GlobalAliso Viejo, Public | 69.4%2022/2023: 57.9% · 2023/2024: 81.1% · 2024/2025: 73.0% | 157 | $35,957 | $30,000 | – | 29% | CCNE | Partly |
| Charles R Drew University of Medicine and ScienceLos Angeles, Private | 66.7%2023/2024: 68.4% · 2024/2025: 65.7% | 54 | $31,400 | $23,750 | – | 32% | CCNE | No |
Pass rates: California board of nursing, fiscal (Jul-Jun). Net price is the College Scorecard's average yearly cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time undergraduates who receive federal aid (in-state price at public schools), and graduation rate covers the whole school. Debt is the median federal loan balance of nursing graduates who borrowed, and pay is the median earnings of graduates who are working one year after finishing (2024 dollars). Accreditation is checked against the ACEN and CCNE directories; a dash means we could not match the program to a listing, which is not the same as being unaccredited, so check with the school. “Partly” under online option means some, but not all, of the school's programs at this level can be finished fully online, such as an RN-to-BSN track. A dash means the figure is not published, often because too few graduates received federal aid.
Programs with fewer than 20 test-takers
With so few graduates testing, one or two results can move a program's pass rate by many points, so we show these programs but do not rank them.
| Program | First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | Test-takers |
|---|---|---|
| University of Phoenix at Modesto - LVN to BSN (Closed) | 25.0%2022/2023: 0.0% · 2023/2024: 0.0% · 2024/2025: 100.0% | 4 |
Other California schools that award nursing bachelor's degrees
These schools reported nursing graduates to the federal government but do not appear on the board's NCLEX list for this program type. Some offer only an RN-to-BSN completion program for nurses who already hold a license; others are new, or the board lists them under another school.
| School | City | Graduates a year | Net price a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange County | Anaheim | 1076 | $36,240 |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills | Carson | 165 | $7,244 |
| Loma Linda University | Loma Linda | 150 | $25,018 |
| Career Networks Institute | Santa Ana | 101 | $57,145 |
| Pacific Union College | Angwin | 55 | $25,891 |
| California State University-Monterey Bay | Seaside | 52 | $13,861 |
| California Career College | Canoga Park | 50 | $55,316 |
| Westmont College | Santa Barbara | 37 | $29,343 |
| United States University | Sandy Springs | 28 | – |
| Pacific College | Costa Mesa | 26 | $24,579 |
| California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt | Arcata | 16 | $13,751 |
| World Mission University | Los Angeles | 7 | $15,820 |
| Glendale Career College | Glendale | 6 | $52,725 |
| North-West College-San Diego | San Diego | 6 | $52,050 |
| Homestead Schools | Torrance | 2 | $16,597 |
| The Chicago School at Los Angeles | Los Angeles | 1 | – |
How to read this page
California lists 45 BSN programs on its board of nursing's published NCLEX results (20 public, 14 private nonprofit and 8for-profit among the 42 we could match to a federal school record). Graduates of a bachelor's degree in nursing program take the NCLEX-RN; programs typically take about 4 years.
Pass rates cover fiscal (Jul-Jun). Boards define a reporting year differently, so compare programs within a state rather than across states. We have not combined these figures into an overall score yet: the full formula on how we rank programs needs every state's data, so for now programs are ordered by pass rate alone. All sources are listed on data sources.
See California's NCLEX pass rates by program type. See what it takes to get a nursing license in California.