Articles · Los Angeles
Nursing Schools in Los Angeles: Every RN Program Compared
The full list of nursing programs in Los Angeles: every Board-approved RN program in the county, with first-time NCLEX pass rates, approved seats and listed cost. That's 44 programs across 26 cities, from community college ADNs to entry-level master's degrees.
By the SEAPHE Editorial Team
Data from the California Board of Registered Nursing
Los Angeles County has more BRN-approved RN programs than any other county in California, and that makes choosing one harder, not easier. Community colleges, CSU and UC campuses, and private universities and colleges all train RNs here, at very different prices and with very different results. This article lists every open program the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) has approved in LA County, using the BRN's own data.
LA County nursing programs by the numbers
Los Angeles County RN programs by degree type
Open BRN-approved pre-licensure programs; pass rates tester-weighted
| Type | Programs | Public / private | Seats/yr | 5-yr pass | 2024–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADN | 26 | 20 / 6 | 3,160 | 90.4% | 91.3% |
| BSN | 13 | 4 / 9 | 4,745 | 86.6% | 88.9% |
| ELM | 5 | 1 / 4 | 462 | 87.9% | 88.6% |
| All | 44 | 25 / 19 | 8,367 | 87.7% | 89.6% |
Sources: BRN Pre-Licensure RN Programs and BRN NCLEX-RN pass rates, retrieved Oct 7, 2026. County assigned from each program's BRN-listed city. Multi-campus programs report combined results, see below. SEAPHE calculations.
One program skews the seat count: West Coast University, a private multi-campus BSN program, lists 2,880 approved seats across all its campuses, 34% of the county total. BSN programs hold 4,745 of the county's 8,367 approved seats, and 9 of the 13 BSN programs are private. Public options are mostly community college ADNs: 20 of the 26 ADN programs are public.
Every nursing school in Los Angeles County
Sorted by five-year first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, with programs that have no NCLEX results yet listed last. Click any program for its full SEAPHE profile.
All open RN programs in Los Angeles County
Five-year and 2024–25 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate (testers), BRN-approved seats, listed cost before aid
| Program | Type | City | Sector | 5-yr pass | 2024–25 | Seats | Listed cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSU Long Beach | BSN | Long Beach | Public | 98.5% | 98.8% (169) | 228 | $27,552 |
| Rio Hondo College | ADN | Whittier | Public | 97.5% | 100.0% (65) | 80 | $3,519 |
| LA Harbor College | ADN | Wilmington | Public | 96.9% | 100.0% (59) | 80 | $5,076 |
| Glendale Community College | ADN | Glendale | Public | 95.8% | 98.0% (51) | 60 | $8,925 |
| CSU Los Angeles | BSN | Los Angeles | Public | 95.7% | 96.1% (103) | 100 | $32,180 |
| Los Angeles Pierce College | ADN | Woodland Hills | Public | 94.7% | 96.8% (31) | 80 | $5,907.50 |
| American Career College* | ADN | Los Angeles | Private | 94.2% | 94.8% (272) | 325 | $81,603.50 |
| Santa Monica College | ADN | Santa Monica | Public | 94.2% | 100.0% (65) | 80 | $6,128-$7,128 |
| Antelope Valley College | ADN | Lancaster | Public | 93.8% | 97.1% (35) | 102 | $3,404 |
| Cerritos College | ADN | Norwalk | Public | 93.7% | 96.4% (55) | 100 | $6,300 |
| El Camino College | ADN | Torrance | Public | 93.5% | 91.0% (67) | 90 | $4,584 |
| Angeles University | BSN | Los Angeles | Private | 93.3% | 90.5% (42) | 120 | $125,000 |
| Mt. San Antonio College | ADN | Walnut | Public | 92.5% | 92.9% (113) | 120 | $2,760 |
| LA County College of Nursing & Allied | ADN | Los Angeles | Public | 92.4% | 94.0% (100) | 120 | $11,300-$11,400 |
| Citrus College | ADN | Glendora | Public | 92.4% | 92.9% (28) | 32 | $6,010 |
| Pasadena City College | ADN | Pasadena | Public | 92.1% | 94.2% (87) | 180 | $3,634 |
| College of the Canyons | ADN | Santa Clarita | Public | 91.7% | 89.8% (88) | 100 | $5,040-$6,592 |
| Western University of Health Sciences | ELM | Pomona | Private | 90.8% | 93.1% (72) | 100 | $138,029 |
| UC Los Angeles | BSN | Los Angeles | Public | 89.8% | 92.2% (51) | 69 | $68,329.12 |
| CSU Northridge | BSN | Northridge | Public | 89.6% | 85.5% (110) | 120 | $46,400 |
| Long Beach City College | ADN | Long Beach | Public | 89.2% | 92.9% (56) | 148 | $3,339-$3,385 |
| Marsha Fuerst School of Nursing at Glendale Career College* | ADN | Glendale | Private | 88.8% | 86.9% (358) | 675 | $80,158 |
| California Career College | ADN | Canoga Park | Private | 88.8% | 96.5% (57) | 72 | $70,732 |
| UC Los Angeles | ELM | Los Angeles | Public | 88.0% | 85.1% (67) | 70 | $46,626 |
| LA Valley College | ADN | Valley Glen | Public | 87.2% | 85.7% (63) | 100 | $3,197 |
| West Coast University* | BSN | North Hollywood | Private | 86.5% | 90.0% (3070) | 2880 | $148,253 |
| Biola University | BSN | La Mirada | Private | 86.2% | 90.5% (63) | 60 | $186,816 |
| LA Southwest College | ADN | Los Angeles | Public | 86.0% | 88.9% (45) | 60 | $3,542 |
| American University of Health Sciences | BSN | Signal Hill | Private | 85.0% | 91.0% (100) | 120 | $111,234 |
| Charles Drew University | ELM | Los Angeles | Private | 84.9% | 86.7% (45) | 80 | $141,748 |
| Mount St. Mary's University* | BSN | Los Angeles | Private | 84.4% | 84.1% (201) | 178 | $186,960 |
| Chamberlain University, Irwindale | BSN | Irwindale | Private | 83.9% | 79.8% (109) | 150 | $98,755 |
| LA City College | ADN | Los Angeles | Public | 83.2% | 79.6% (54) | 100 | $3,174 |
| Smith Chason College | ADN | Los Angeles | Private | 82.7% | 69.8% (63) | 90 | $77,870 |
| Azusa Pacific University* | BSN | Azusa | Private | 82.3% | 82.2% (482) | 560 | $59,400 |
| LA Trade-Tech College | ADN | Los Angeles | Public | 81.6% | 91.8% (73) | 80 | $5,001-$5,047 |
| East Los Angeles College | ADN | Monterey Park | Public | 81.2% | 94.6% (37) | 60 | $8,000 |
| Compton College | ADN | Compton | Public | 78.9% | 80.4% (51) | 80 | $5,100 |
| Career Care Institute | ADN | Lancaster | Private | 70.1% | 85.2% (27) | 96 | $86,525-$86,645 |
| Charles Drew University | BSN | Los Angeles | Private | 66.7% | 65.7% (35) | 80 | $53,515 |
| Azusa Pacific University* | ELM | Azusa | Private | — | — | 180 | $92,880-$103,200 |
| High Desert Medical College | ADN | Lancaster | Private | — | — | 50 | ADN: $89,995 LVN-RN: $68,325 |
| Pepperdine University | BSN | Malibu | Private | — | — | 80 | 4-yr BSN degree - $294,688 2-yr BSN transfer degree - $147,344 |
| Pepperdine University | ELM | Malibu | Private | — | — | 32 | $251,510 |
Sources: BRN NCLEX-RN pass rates (2020–21 to 2024–25) and BRN Pre-Licensure RN Programs, retrieved Oct 7, 2026. * Program lists more than one campus; seats and pass rates may include campuses outside LA County. Listed cost is as reported to the BRN, and its basis varies by school.
Top performers in Los Angeles
Among LA County programs with at least 200 first-time testers over five years, the strongest records belong to CSU Long Beach (BSN, 98.5%), Rio Hondo College (ADN, 97.5%), LA Harbor College (ADN, 96.9%), Glendale Community College (ADN, 95.8%) and CSU Los Angeles (BSN, 95.7%). Note how many are public community colleges. For the statewide picture, see the best nursing schools in California by NCLEX pass rate.
Public options: community colleges and the CSU
LA County has 20 public ADN programs. Public community college ADNs are usually the lowest-cost route to an RN license: statewide, public ADN programs averaged about $2,027 a year in tuition and fees in 2024–25, per the BRN annual school report. The best five-year results among LA's public ADNs belong to Rio Hondo College (97.5%), LA Harbor College (96.9%) and Glendale Community College (95.8%).
The county's public BSN programs are at CSU Long Beach, CSU Los Angeles, CSU Northridge and UCLA. Compare the CSU campuses in CSU nursing programs compared, and weigh the two degrees in ADN vs. BSN in California.
Long Beach and accelerated options
Nursing schools in Long Beach
2 LA County programs list Long Beach as their city: CSU Long Beach (BSN, 98.5% over five years, 228 approved seats) and Long Beach City College (ADN, 89.2% over five years, 148 approved seats).
Accelerated nursing programs in Los Angeles (ELM)
If you already hold a bachelor's degree in another field, California offers two fast routes into nursing: accelerated BSN tracks and entry-level master's (ELM) programs. LA County has 5 ELM programs: Western University of Health Sciences (90.8% over five years), UC Los Angeles (88.0% over five years), Charles Drew University (84.9% over five years), Azusa Pacific University (no NCLEX results yet) and Pepperdine University (no NCLEX results yet). Our ELM guide explains how they work and how they compare with an accelerated BSN.
Programs to look at closely
3 LA County programs averaged below 80% over five years: Compton College (ADN, 78.9%), Career Care Institute (ADN, 70.1%) and Charles Drew University (BSN, 66.7%). California's minimum standard is a 75% first-time pass rate (16 CCR § 1431). All of them sit well below the 90.2% statewide rate for 2024–25, and some average under the 75% floor. Ask programs like these what has changed and how recent cohorts have done. Our guide What Is a Good NCLEX Pass Rate? lists the questions to ask.
Caveats: multi-campus schools and new programs
- Combined results. American Career College (ADN), Marsha Fuerst School of Nursing at Glendale Career College (ADN), West Coast University (BSN), Mount St. Mary's University (BSN), Azusa Pacific University (BSN) and Azusa Pacific University (ELM) list several campuses with the BRN, and their seats and pass rates cover all of them, including campuses outside LA County.
- No results yet. Azusa Pacific University (ELM), High Desert Medical College (ADN), Pepperdine University (BSN) and Pepperdine University (ELM) had no first-time NCLEX results in the BRN's 2020–21 to 2024–25 tables. Ask these programs directly about their status and outcomes.
- Not enrolling. University of Phoenix (Pasadena) (BSN) is still on the BRN's Pre-Licensure RN Programs list, but marked as not accepting new students (effective 7/1/2021), with 0 approved annual enrollment, so it is left out of this article's list and counts (checked Oct 9, 2026).
- Cost. Listed costs are what schools reported to the BRN. Some cover tuition only, others add fees or books, and none include living costs.
Getting in
The BRN doesn't publish acceptance rates by school, but statewide, programs accepted 32.1% of qualified applications in 2024–25: 35.0% for generic ADN and 29.9% for BSN. Community colleges often use multi-criteria points or lotteries, and few programs keep waitlists. See California RN programs with no waitlist for how selection works.
Our admissions odds page shows what applicants in the Los Angeles region reported from their own applications, once enough responses come in.
Applied to a California RN program? Share how it went in a 2-minute anonymous survey.
Share your outcomeFrequently asked questions
How many nursing schools are in Los Angeles?
Los Angeles County has 44 open BRN-approved pre-licensure RN programs: 26 associate degree (ADN), 13 bachelor's (BSN) and 5 entry-level master's (ELM) programs, approved for 8,367 new students a year combined.
What is the best nursing school in Los Angeles?
On five-year first-time NCLEX-RN results (programs with at least 200 testers), CSU Long Beach leads LA County at 98.5%, followed by Rio Hondo College (97.5%) and LA Harbor College (96.9%), per BRN data.
What is the cheapest way to become an RN in Los Angeles?
Public community college ADN programs. Statewide, public ADN programs averaged about $2,027 a year in tuition and fees in 2024–25, versus $17,531 for public BSN programs (BRN annual school report). LA County has 20 public ADN programs.
Which universities in Los Angeles offer a BSN?
LA County has 13 BSN programs: 4 public (the CSU campuses and UCLA) and 9 private. The full list, with pass rates and seats, is in the table above.
Do LA nursing schools have higher pass rates than the state average?
Slightly lower, on average. LA County programs passed 89.6% of first-time testers in 2024–25, versus 90.2% statewide. The average hides a wide range, so compare individual programs.
More SEAPHE articles
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
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
SDSU Nursing Acceptance Rate: What San Diego State Actually Publishes
No official rate exists. Here are SDSU’s applicant counts, average scores, minimum offer scores and Fall 2027 rules.
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California RN Programs With No Waitlist: What the BRN Data Shows
Only 23 respondents reported a waitlist in 2024–25. How programs select students instead, and how to check a school.
SEAPHE Editorial Team · Updated Oct 9, 2026 · 5 min read
Sources
- California Board of Registered Nursing, NCLEX-RN Pass Rates, First Time CA Educated Exam Testers, 2020–21 to 2024–25 (retrieved Oct 7, 2026).
- California Board of Registered Nursing, Pre-Licensure RN Programs: city, approved enrollment and listed cost (retrieved Oct 7, 2026).
- University of California, San Francisco for the California BRN, 2024–2025 BRN Annual School Report: Data Summary, Pre-Licensure Programs, Tables 3 and 22.
- California Code of Regulations, 16 CCR § 1431.
Last updated Oct 9, 2026. Figures change every year; check each source for the latest release.