NurseSavvy ranking · California · updated October 10, 2026

Best Nursing Schools in California (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10

We ranked all 138 RN programs in California that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in California, and what graduates earn a year out.

Saddleback College comes out on top. Here are the top 10, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.

No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.

Rank it your way

Rank California’s 138 RN programs on what matters to you

NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.

The top 10 nursing programs in California

Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.

1
Saddleback College
Mission ViejoAssociate Degree· Public
88score
97% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 98.8% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
98.8% of 82
Students who finish
97% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$4,152/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
Start to license: 96 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
2
Mendocino College
UkiahAssociate Degree· Public
88score
92% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 100% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
100% of 27
Students who finish
92% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$8,330/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$113,261 1 yr out
Start to license: 92 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
3
California State University, Long Beach
Long BeachBaccalaureate Degree· Public
87score
94% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 98.8% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
98.8% of 169
Students who finish
94% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$10,440/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$100,178 1 yr out
Start to license: 93 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
4
Sonoma State University
Rohnert ParkBaccalaureate Degree· Public
87score
100% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 95.7% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
95.7% of 23
Students who finish
100% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$12,885/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$125,646 1 yr out
Start to license: 96 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
5
California State University, Los Angeles
Los AngelesBaccalaureate Degree· Public
86score
97% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 96.1% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
96.1% of 103
Students who finish
97% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$3,967/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$98,811 1 yr out
Start to license: 93 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
6
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa RosaAssociate Degree· Public
85score
93% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 96.5% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
96.5% of 114
Students who finish
93% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$6,331/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$100,800 1 yr out
Start to license: 90 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
7
California State University, Stanislaus
TurlockBaccalaureate Degree· Public
85score
93% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 92.5% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
92.5% of 93
Students who finish
93% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$6,067/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$119,356 1 yr out
Start to license: 86 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
8
California State University, Sacramento
SacramentoBaccalaureate Degree· Public
85score
88% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 96.6% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
96.6% of 148
Students who finish
88% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$9,338/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$116,001 1 yr out
Start to license: 85 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
9
Glendale Community College
GlendaleAssociate Degree· Public
85score
93% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 98% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
98% of 51
Students who finish
93% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$8,365/yr net price
Early-career earnings
Not publishedfill-in
Start to license: 91 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.
10
Santa Barbara City College
Santa BarbaraAssociate Degree· Public
85score
97% of its nursing students finish the program on time, and 96.7% pass the NCLEX on the first try.
NCLEX strength
96.7% of 60
Students who finish
97% finish
Cost-to-pay value
$11,315/yr net price
Early-career earnings
$101,955 1 yr out
Start to license: 94 of every 100 who start finish on time and pass the NCLEX first try.

Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.

All 336 approved programs in California Full rankings table

The California leaders on each measure

Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.

Highest NCLEX pass rate: Ventura College (Associate Degree), 100% first-time.
Most students finish: Sonoma State University (Baccalaureate Degree), 100% on time.
Lowest average net price: Moorpark College, $0/yr.
Highest graduates’ pay: Sonoma State University, $125,646 one year out.
Top ADN vs top BSN: Saddleback College (#1 overall) and California State University, Long Beach (#3 overall).

How we ranked California’s nursing schools

NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the California board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to California’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.

A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best nursing school in California?

Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Saddleback College (Associate Degree, Mission Viejo) ranks #1 of 138 RN programs in California with a score of 88 out of 100 and a 98.8% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.

How did NurseSavvy rank California nursing schools?

Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the California board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

What does “fill-in” mean on this list?

When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.

Can a school pay to rank higher?

No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.