Get into nursing school in California
Real data on 162 RN programs, straight from the state nursing board and each school. Find your deadlines, check your scores, and plan your prereqs, all free.
- DeadlinesSee when applications open and close for the programs you want.
- Points calculatorAdd up your points on a school’s own scoring rubric.
- TEAS checkerCompare your TEAS score with each school’s published minimum.
- Prereq plannerCheck off your courses and see which programs you’re ready for.
Free to use. No account needed. Every number has a source.
Look up a program
Got in? Compare your offers
Compare NCLEX pass rates, costs and program length for the schools that accepted you. Check the five-year record and the number of testers, not just one year.
Highest pass rates
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, 2024–25. Rule: open programs with 30 or more first-time testers, ranked by the exact BRN rate (ties: more testers first). See all programs
- Ventura CollegeADN100.00%
- Rio Hondo CollegeADN100.00%
- Santa Monica CollegeADN100.00%
- LA Harbor CollegeADN100.00%
- Moorpark CollegeADN100.00%
Applications open now
California RN programs whose application window is open today, from each school’s own page. 157 programs are listed in the deadlines table; 121 have published dates.
- Simpson UniversityBSN · Spring 2027Closes Priority Deadline: September 16th; Closing Deadline: October 16th (2026)
- California Northstate UniversityBSN · Spring 2027Closes Oct 24, 2026 (11:59 PM PT)
- Palo Verde CollegeADN · Not publishedCloses Oct 31, 2026
- Pepperdine UniversityELM · Spring 2027Closes Nov 1, 2026
- UC DavisELM · Summer 2027 (matriculation in June)Closes Nov 1, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET)
- Western University of Health SciencesELM · Fall 2027Closes Nov 1, 2026
- CSU Channel IslandsBSN · Fall 2027Closes Nov 30, 2026 (NursingCAS closes 8:59 PM PST)
- San Diego State UniversityBSN · Fall 2027Closes Nov 30, 2026
Dates are each school’s published window, checked on the date shown in the deadline table. Confirm on the school’s site before you apply.
Why one year’s pass rate can mislead
A pass rate is a share of first-time testers, so a program with one or two graduates sitting the exam can swing from 0% to 100% between years. That tells you almost nothing about the program.
SEAPHE flags any rate based on fewer than 20 testers and shows the five-year average beside it. Compare the latest year with the five-year record before drawing conclusions.
| Program | 2024–25 testers | 2024–25 rate | 5-year rate (testers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chabot College | 1 | 0.0% | 97.5% (120) |
| San Diego City College | 1 | 100.0% | 99.5% (211) |
| Weimar University | 8 | 100.0% | 94.0% (50) |
| Madera College | 14 | 92.9% | 94.6% (56) |
California nursing programs at a glance
Share of applications accepted, by program type
Share of qualified applications accepted, 2024–25, by program type. Per-school rates aren’t published. Admissions data
- BSN (bachelor’s)29.9%
- ELM (entry-level master’s)33.6%
- ADN (generic associate)35.0%
- LVN-to-ADN56.2%
Source: BRN 2024–25 Annual School Report, Table 3, p. 3.
Browse by city
Cities with the most open BRN-approved programs. All 174 programs A–Z (162 open)
Guides
Written by the SEAPHE Editorial Team from public, source-cited data.
How to Choose a California BSN Program
A checklist for comparing BSN programs on licensure outcomes, accreditation, completion and true cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 5 min read
ADN vs. BSN: Which Nursing Degree Is Right for You in California?
Community college or university? What the pass-rate data says, and how RN-to-BSN pathways change the math.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 10 min read
TEAS vs. HESI A2: Key Differences and Which Exam to Take
How the two entrance exams differ, what sections to expect, and how to plan your study time.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 9 min read
What Is a Good NCLEX Pass Rate?
How to read pass rates, why cohort size matters, and the questions worth asking a program.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 7 min read
Entry-Level Master’s (ELM) Programs, Explained
Already have a bachelor’s in another field? How ELM programs work and who they suit.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 8 min read
Where California Nursing Programs Have the Most Seats per Application
Statewide BRN data on seats, qualified applications, selection methods and waitlists by program type.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 5 min read
How Much RN Programs Cost in California
BRN averages for tuition, cost of attendance and debt, and how to compare listed program costs.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 3 min read
Rejected from Nursing School in California: What to Do Next
How to read the decision, what carries over, retake and repeat rules, and how to widen your list.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 4 min read
Lottery vs. Points Nursing Programs in California, by Region
Which programs use a lottery, points, both or holistic review, region by region, from each school’s own pages.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 4 min read
Do California Nursing Programs Accept Online Labs?
Online lab, recency and repeat rules for anatomy, physiology and microbiology, school by school.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 10 min read
LVN to RN in California and the 30-Unit Option
LVN-to-ADN programs, advanced placement and the non-degree 30-unit option, with BRN rules and data.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 4 min read
Concurrent ADN-to-BSN Programs in California
How CEP and collaborative programs let you earn an ADN and a BSN with fewer repeated courses.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 4 min read
How to Get Into Nursing School in the Bay Area
Every open BRN-approved RN program in the Bay Area, with selection method, approved enrollment and listed cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 7 min read
How to Get Into Nursing School in San Diego
Every open BRN-approved RN program in San Diego and Imperial counties, with selection method, enrollment and cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 4 min read
How to Get Into Nursing School in Sacramento
Every open BRN-approved RN program in the Greater Sacramento region, with selection method, enrollment and cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 4 min read
How to Get Into Nursing School in Orange County
Every open BRN-approved RN program in Orange County, with selection method, enrollment and cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 5 min read
How to Get Into Nursing School in the Inland Empire
Every open BRN-approved RN program in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, with selection method, enrollment and cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 5 min read
Nursing School Application Timeline for California
A month-by-month planning approach: prerequisites, exam timing, Cal State Apply and community college windows.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 4 min read
ACEN vs. CCNE: Does Nursing Accreditation Matter?
When national accreditation matters for grad school and jobs, and when it doesn’t.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · 6 min read
From the data desk
Rankings and comparisons built from California Board of Registered Nursing data.
Best Nursing Schools in California, Ranked by NCLEX Pass Rate
Top BSN, ADN and ELM programs by five-year first-time NCLEX-RN results, plus the leaders in each region.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 7 min read
CSU Nursing Programs Compared: Pass Rates, Seats, Cost and Impaction
All 17 CSU pre-licensure BSN programs side by side, from BRN data and the CSU impaction matrix.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 7 min read
Nursing Schools in Los Angeles: Every RN Program Compared
All 44 BRN-approved RN programs in LA County with NCLEX pass rates, seats and listed cost.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 8 min read
About this data
Last updated
Retrieved from the BRN on Oct 7, 2026. Pass rates cover first-time, California-educated testers, July–June reporting years.
Sources
NCLEX pass-rate tables, approved program list, attrition and accreditation table, and annual school reports.
Download
Pass rates CSV · Admissions CSV · JSON. Pass-rate data: CC BY 4.0, credit “SEAPHE Nursing Data, seaphe.org” with a link back.
Corrections
Schools can’t pay to appear or rank. Spot an error? Our corrections policy explains how we fix it in public.
Key facts
Last updated
- In 2024–25, 90.2% of 15,874 first-time NCLEX-RN testers from 154 California programs passed (SEAPHE tester-weighted calculation). Source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- Only 32.1% of 64,075 qualified applications to California pre-licensure RN programs were accepted in 2024–25 (20,556 acceptances). Source: CA BRN 2024–25 Annual School Report, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- By degree type in 2024–25, first-time pass rates were 92.1% for ADN, 89.0% for BSN and 88.3% for entry-level master’s (ELM) graduates. Source: CA BRN NCLEX-RN pass-rate tables, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
- SEAPHE counts 162 open pre-licensure RN programs on the California Board of Registered Nursing's approved list, excluding programs that are closed or not on the BRN list and those not accepting new students. 12 closed, off-list or non-enrolling programs keep their pages for the historical record (174 program pages in all). Source: CA BRN list of approved RN programs, retrieved Oct 7, 2026.
How to cite this data
Suggested citation: SEAPHE. (2026). California nursing program data: NCLEX-RN pass rates and admissions [Data set]. Compiled from California Board of Registered Nursing public records. https://seaphe.org/ (updated Oct 7, 2026).
Original source: California BRN, NCLEX-RN Pass Rates: First Time CA Educated Exam Testers; California BRN, Approved Pre-Licensure RN Programs; 2024-2025 Annual School Report: Data Summary for Pre-Licensure Nursing Programs (BRN / UCSF, Aug 24, 2026).