California nursing admissions odds, as reported by applicants
The Board of Registered Nursing publishes acceptance rates only statewide by program type. Here, applicants report what happened at each program they applied to. We show the totals by program type and region, and add a school once at least 10 people have reported on it.
Applied to a California RN program? Add your outcome in about 2 minutes. Anonymous, no email.
Share your outcomeShare of applications accepted, by program type and region
Accepted, including off a waitlist, as a share of applications with a final decision. Regions are the BRN’s reporting regions, based on where the program is. A group needs at least 10 different people before it appears.
ADN
| Northern California | Not enough yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Sacramento Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Greater Sacramento | Not enough yet | ||
| Bay Area | Not enough yet | ||
| San Joaquin Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Central Coast | Not enough yet | ||
| Los Angeles Area | Not enough yet | ||
| Inland Empire and Orange County | Not enough yet | ||
| San Diego and Imperial (Southern Border) | Not enough yet | ||
BSN
| Northern California | Not enough yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Sacramento Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Greater Sacramento | Not enough yet | ||
| Bay Area | Not enough yet | ||
| San Joaquin Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Central Coast | Not enough yet | ||
| Los Angeles Area | Not enough yet | ||
| Inland Empire and Orange County | Not enough yet | ||
| San Diego and Imperial (Southern Border) | Not enough yet | ||
ELM
| Northern California | Not enough yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Sacramento Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Greater Sacramento | Not enough yet | ||
| Bay Area | Not enough yet | ||
| San Joaquin Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Central Coast | Not enough yet | ||
| Los Angeles Area | Not enough yet | ||
| Inland Empire and Orange County | Not enough yet | ||
| San Diego and Imperial (Southern Border) | Not enough yet | ||
LVN-to-RN
| Northern California | Not enough yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Sacramento Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Greater Sacramento | Not enough yet | ||
| Bay Area | Not enough yet | ||
| San Joaquin Valley | Not enough yet | ||
| Central Coast | Not enough yet | ||
| Los Angeles Area | Not enough yet | ||
| Inland Empire and Orange County | Not enough yet | ||
| San Diego and Imperial (Southern Border) | Not enough yet | ||
| Region | ADN | BSN | ELM | LVN-to-RN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern California | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| Northern Sacramento Valley | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| Greater Sacramento | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| Bay Area | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| San Joaquin Valley | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| Central Coast | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| Los Angeles Area | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| Inland Empire and Orange County | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| San Diego and Imperial (Southern Border) | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
| All of California | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet | Not enough yet |
Source: SEAPHE admissions-outcomes survey, self-reported, October 2026. People who choose to answer are not a random sample. Percentages are rounded (to the nearest 5 points for groups under 50 people) and group sizes are shown as ranges. Compare: the BRN reports that 32.1% of qualified applications statewide were accepted in 2024–25 (official figures).
What happened to applications, statewide
Every reported application, including ones still waiting. Outcomes reported by fewer than 3 people are merged into “Other”.
| Type | Chart | Accepted | Off waitlist | Waitlisted | Not accepted | Lottery: not selected | Withdrew, waiting or other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADN | Not enough responses yet | ||||||
| BSN | Not enough responses yet | ||||||
| ELM | Not enough responses yet | ||||||
| LVN-to-RN | Not enough responses yet | ||||||
Reported GPA and TEAS ranges, statewide
Share of decided applications accepted, by the applicant’s self-reported range. Shown for all of California only, never by region or school, so no small group can be singled out.
ADN: prerequisite GPA
| Under 3.00 | Not enough responses yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.00 to 3.49 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.50 to 3.74 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.75 or higher | Not enough responses yet | ||
BSN: prerequisite GPA
| Under 3.00 | Not enough responses yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.00 to 3.49 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.50 to 3.74 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.75 or higher | Not enough responses yet | ||
ELM: prerequisite GPA
| Under 3.00 | Not enough responses yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.00 to 3.49 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.50 to 3.74 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.75 or higher | Not enough responses yet | ||
LVN-to-RN: prerequisite GPA
| Under 3.00 | Not enough responses yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.00 to 3.49 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.50 to 3.74 | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 3.75 or higher | Not enough responses yet | ||
ADN: ATI TEAS overall score
| Under 62% | Not enough responses yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 62% to 69.9% | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 70% to 79.9% | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 80% or higher | Not enough responses yet | ||
BSN: ATI TEAS overall score
| Under 62% | Not enough responses yet | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 62% to 69.9% | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 70% to 79.9% | Not enough responses yet | ||
| 80% or higher | Not enough responses yet | ||
The last column is the number of people in each range. A higher GPA range showing a higher share accepted does not mean a GPA guarantees a seat: many California community colleges admit by lottery or a points system once you meet the minimums.
How long waitlisted and lottery applicants waited
Among people who were waitlisted or entered a lottery: total time from first application to a seat offer, or until now if still waiting.
ADN
Not enough responses yetLVN-to-RN
Not enough responses yetBSN
Not enough responses yetPrograms with enough responses
A program appears once at least 10 different people have reported a decided outcome there.
No program has reached 10 responses yet. Programs appear here, one by one, as they do.
167 programs don’t have enough responses yet We don’t show how many responses each one has until it reaches 10, so a single person’s answers can’t be spotted.
Add your outcomeHow we protect the people who answer
No identity, ever
No names, emails, exact scores, dates or IP addresses are stored with answers. The survey has no free-text boxes.
Groups of 10 or more
A number appears only when at least 10 different people are behind it. One person’s eight applications count once.
Rounded and ranged
Percentages are rounded, to the nearest 5 points for groups under 50. Group sizes are shown as ranges, not exact counts.
No custom filters
Every table is fixed in advance. GPA and TEAS are shown statewide only, so you can’t narrow results down to a few people.
No back-calculation
If hiding one group would let someone work it out by subtracting from a total, we hide a second group too.
Monthly batches, never sold
Results update once a month, so a single new answer can’t be isolated. Survey answers are never sold. See the privacy policy.
Read these numbers with care
- Self-reported and self-selected. People who choose to answer may differ from all applicants. Treat these as a rough guide, not an official rate.
- Applications, not people. One applicant usually applies to several programs, as in the BRN’s own figures.
- Not the BRN. These numbers come from SEAPHE’s survey, not from the Board or the schools. For official statewide figures, see acceptance rates.
- Admissions change. Programs change their criteria, lotteries and seat counts. Always check the program’s current requirements.
Independent; not affiliated with the California BRN. Spot a problem? Email corrections@seaphe.org.