California State University, Northridge vs University of California, Los Angeles: Which Nursing School Wins on the Numbers?
Two of California's biggest nursing schools, side by side — 2025 first-time NCLEX pass rates from the state board of nursing, plus cost, admissions and each school's own nursing-graduate earnings from federal data. University of California, Los Angeles's best RN program outperformed California State University, Northridge's on the 2025 first-time NCLEX (92.2% vs 85.5%), while California State University, Northridge is the cheaper school on sticker tuition ($7,458 vs $15,203 a year).
| California State University, NorthridgeNorthridge · California · Public | University of California, Los AngelesLos Angeles · California · Public | |
|---|---|---|
| Best 2025 NCLEX-RN pass rate | 85.5% | 92.2% |
| In-state tuition / yrsticker, whole institution | $7,458 | $15,203 |
| Avg net price after aid / yr | $7,021 | $12,548 |
| Acceptance ratewhole institution | 94% | 9% |
| Graduation rate | 57% | 93% |
| Undergraduates | 32,691 | 33,475 |
| BSN grad pay, 1 yr outthis school’s own nursing grads | $106,780 | $94,611 |
| BSN grad median debt | $15,041 | $19,420 |
Green = better on that row (higher pass rate, pay and graduation rate; lower cost and debt). Acceptance rate and size aren't scored — bigger or more selective isn't better for everyone. “—” = not published for that school.
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The pass-rate gap is a preparation gap
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which has the higher NCLEX pass rate — California State University, Northridge or University of California, Los Angeles?
University of California, Los Angeles — 92.2% vs 85.5% first-time NCLEX-RN in 2025, per the California board of nursing. One year of data; check the trend on each school's page.
Which is cheaper — California State University, Northridge or University of California, Los Angeles?
On published in-state tuition, California State University, Northridge ($7,458/yr vs $15,203/yr). After average aid, net prices run $7,021 (California State University, Northridge) vs $12,548 (University of California, Los Angeles).
About this data
Pass rates are 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rates from the California board of nursing (each school's best rated RN program). Tuition, net price, admissions, earnings and debt come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release); earnings and debt are program-level figures for each school's own nursing graduates and lag the current class by several years. Full sources are on each school's page.