Nursing Schools in California

Guide to California Nursing Degree Programs

Are you thinking of becoming a nurse? California is an excellent place to pursue that career goal. As the the most populated state in the United States, there is no shortage of citizens in need of your care. Hospitals are abundant -- big cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego are home to renowned specialty and research hospitals like Rady Children's Hospital, Cedars-Sinai, and UCSF and USC Medical Centers, which consistently rank among the best in the nation -- but populations are equally strong and in need all along the coast.

In addition, California has a very strong, supportive, and active nursing community. Unions like the California Nursing Association work hard to better the professional world of health care, while groups like the California Nursing Students' Association offers student resources, opportunities, and mentoring to help foster improved social awareness and leadership for a higher caliber of nurses.

California Nursing Job Outlook and Salary

The one thing there is a shortage of in California is nurses. Though the fallout is not as severe as some other states, California is still being hit by the nationwide nursing shortage. As the average age of citizens grows, thanks to the baby boomer population reaching seniority, an increasing influx of nurses will be needed to sufficiently provide care.

In an effort to give students incentive to pursue a nursing degree, several foundations have been put in place to help students with financial aid. State organizations like the Health Professions Education Foundation and State Nursing Assumption Program offer loan repayment funds for students earning bachelor-level nursing degrees and willing to work as nurses in high-need areas after graduation.

The shortage has also contributed to a rise in salary for nurses, as their skill set becomes an increasingly valuable commodity. According to PayScale, the current median salary for a registered nurse in California is roughly between $50,000 and $80,000, taking into account extra factors like specialized certifications and years of experience, and brand new RNs can expect to make between $38,000 and $50,000. Recruiting site Choose Nursing states the high end of California's starting salary as $83,000, but also mentions that initial “signing bonuses” in some areas of the state are as high as $10,000.

Additional Nursing Schools in California

Azusa Pacific University School of Nursing
California State University, Los Angeles - School of Nursing
Loma Linda University School of Nursing
San Diego State University School of Nursing
University of California, San Francisco - School of Nursing