Top BSN Nursing Programs in California - 2024

Continuously ranked as the top BSN program in California, UCLA graduated its first BSN class in 1954. Designed to take four years to complete, this curriculum includes rigorous nursing courses that build theoretical knowledge and hands-on clinical work that builds practical skills. Common courses include human physiology for healthcare providers, fundamentals of epidemiology, and introduction to nursing and social justice. The program culminates with a capstone project designed to improve care for patients.

Acceptance is competitive, with just 40 freshmen and ten transfer students accepted each year from over 3,800 applications. UCLA uses a holistic admissions process and considers criteria such as achievement in high school coursework, personal qualities, and involvement in academic enrichment programs. The school appreciates applicants who are likely to contribute to the intellectual and cultural environment of the university.

Valuing the critical thinking and professional decision-making required by skilled nurses, the San Diego State University (SDSU) BSN program prepares you for a meaningful career. While striving to create the next generation of nursing leaders, SDSU provides the practical and theoretical knowledge needed for licensure. This program typically takes about four years to complete.

Common courses for this BSN degree include clinical pharmacology, pediatric nursing, and community health nursing. In addition to the expected classroom and clinical work, SDSU also requires an international experience before graduation. While you can meet this requirement through coursework outside the nursing discipline, a study-abroad experience is encouraged to increase student awareness of global health and cultural issues.

Prospective students must have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.0. Additionally, applicants must have earned at least a B in high school algebra, biology, and chemistry. SDSU gives special consideration to applicants who’ve overcome hardships along with those who have participated in college prep programs.

San Jose State University’s prelicensure, full-time program is designed for students new to nursing and prepares them for their professional careers through rigorous classroom and clinical work. Upon entering the program, students gain clinical experience in various settings such as hospitals, community clinics, and long-term-care facilities. Once completed, you are eligible to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam along with California’s Public Health Nursing certification. This program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Before enrolling in the nursing program, students must complete various prerequisites that include human anatomy, human physiology, and elementary statistics. Core nursing coursework includes gerontological nursing theory, mental health theory, and child health theory. These theoretical courses are paired with practicum courses, allowing students to apply their classroom knowledge.

Acceptance to San Jose State University is conditional until students clear a background check and drug screen. Admission into this program favors local applicants, students with military experience, and first-generation college students.

CSUC has been offering an RN to BSN track since the program began in 1954. Creating a relatively quick pathway to a BSN degree, CSUC designed this flexible online option to reach interested nursing students in Chico’s vast, rural region. This distance learning track provides a convenient way for working RNs to secure their bachelor’s degree while keeping up with the responsibilities of around-the-clock nursing.

Comprised primarily of online coursework, you can complete this degree in as few as 15 months. In addition to completing general education requirements not met through an ADN program, students tackle nursing courses that include topics such as nursing informatics, public health nursing theory, and academic writing for nurses. Before graduation, you’ll complete a degree-culminating nursing practicum in a community health setting.

Applicants for this online RN to BSN program must be California residents and have an active California RN license. Prospective students must submit official college transcripts and have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

Designed for students nearing the end of the ADN degree, CSUDH’s RN to BSN degree allows you to complete required coursework wherever and whenever is most convenient. While test dates and due dates are sometimes set in stone, this uber-flexible academic option utilizes web conferencing, message boards, and prerecorded lectures to best mirror an on-campus experience.

Prerequisites for this online program include critical thinking, oral/written communication, and lab-based science classes such as human anatomy, human physiology, and microbiology. Core nursing requirements at CSUDH include cultural diversity and healthcare, community-based nursing, and leadership in healthcare systems. Students also gain over 90 hours of hands-on clinical experience in a community-based healthcare setting.

Prospective students must have a college GPA of at least a 2.0 and have at least 60 transferable college credits. Applicants are required to hold current RN licensure or documentation verifying that you’re in the last semester of an ADN program.