Regions · Inland Empire
How to Get Into Nursing School in the Inland Empire
This page covers every open, BRN-approved pre-licensure RN program in Riverside and San Bernardino counties: how each one selects students, how many students it's approved to enroll each year, and the cost it lists with the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). Use it to build your list, then check each school's own page before you apply.
By the SEAPHE Editorial Team
Data from the California Board of Registered Nursing
Programs in the Inland Empire
| Program | Type | Public/private | City | Selection method (school's pages) | Next application window | TEAS minimum | BRN-approved annual enrollment | Listed cost | Points calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Nurses Educational Institute | ADN | Private | Rancho Mirage | Eligibility-based | "ENROLLMENT FOR 2027 SPRING SEMESTER IS NOW OPEN" – Not published | Not published | 90 | ADN: $76,174 LVN-RN: $47,380Basis: Total Program | — |
| Chaffey College | ADN | Public | Rancho Cucamonga | Points and lottery (hybrid) | Opens Mar 1, 2027 (evaluation request period 2027-02-16 to 2027-03-26 4:00 p.m.), closes Mar 31, 2027 (11:59 p.m.) | 62% | 80 | $3,381Basis: Tuition | — |
| College of the Desert | ADN | Public | Palm Desert | Points (ranked) | Opens Feb 9, 2027, closes Feb 23, 2027 | 62% | 200 | $5,790Basis: Tuition + Books | calculator |
| Copper Mountain College | ADN | Public | Joshua Tree | Lottery | January 2nd ("accepted from January 2nd through January 31st each year") – January 31st (postmark) | 62% | 32 | $5,148-$5,728Basis: Total Program | — |
| Mt. San Jacinto College | ADN | Public | Menifee | Points and lottery (hybrid) | February 1 – February 15 | 62% | 72 | $5,000-$7,000Basis: Total Program | calculator |
| Palo Verde College | ADN | Public | Blythe | Points (ranked) | Open now, closes Oct 31, 2026 | 62.5% | 20 | $8,515Basis: Total Program | — |
| Riverside City College | ADN | Public | Riverside | Points and lottery (hybrid) | Not published | 62% | 260 | $9,648-$10,150Basis: Total Program | calculator |
| San Bernardino Valley College | ADN | Public | San Bernardino | Points (ranked) | March 15 – March 30 | 62% | 110 | $3,312-$3,404Basis: Tuition | calculator |
| United Nursing College | ADN | Private | Murrieta | Points (ranked) | Not published | TEAS 59%; HESI A2 composite 65% (point-system text) or 75% (same document's requirements list) - inconsistent | 120 | $70,749Basis: Total Program | — |
| Victor Valley College | ADN | Public | Victorville | Points (ranked) | Opens Feb 1, 2027, closes Feb 26, 2027 | 70% | 80 | $10,603Basis: Total Program | calculator |
| Arizona College | BSN | Private | Ontario | Eligibility-based | Not published | Not published | 120 | $64,444-$125,000Basis: Total Program | — |
| CSU San Bernardino | BSN | Public | San Bernardino | Not published by the school | Opens Jan 4, 2027, closes Feb 5, 2027 | 70% | 132 | $29,827.60 (Plus 1st Year RN Prgm Costs = $2,500-$3,500)Basis: Tuition + Fees | — |
| California Baptist University | BSN | Private | Riverside | Holistic review | Opens Nov 15, 2026, closes Mar 1, 2027 (final); early deadline 2027-02-15 | 64% composite | 196 | $175,758-$179,128Basis: Total Program | — |
| Loma Linda University | BSN | Private | Loma Linda | Holistic review | Not published – July 1 | Not published | 275 | $102,120Basis: Total Program | — |
| Westcliff University | BSN | Private | Corona | Eligibility-based | Not published | 58 composite | 120 | $109,000Basis: Tuition + Fees | — |
| California Baptist University | ELM | Private | Riverside | Holistic review | Open now, closes Jan 15, 2027 (final); early deadline 2026-11-03 | 64% composite | 40 | $83,846-$85,428Basis: Tuition | — |
| Loma Linda University | ELM | Private | Loma Linda | Holistic review | Not published – July 1 | Not published | 10 | $126,572Basis: Program Cost | — |
| Westcliff University | ELM | Private | Corona | Eligibility minimums listed; selection method not published | Not published | Not published | 40 | $86,875Basis: Tuition + Fees | — |
Sources: BRN Pre-Licensure RN Programs list (enrollment, cost, basis; retrieved Oct 7, 2026); selection methods from each school's own pages (checked Oct 9, 2026), as shown on each SEAPHE school page. "Listed cost" is whatever each school reported to the BRN, and the basis varies, so compare like with like (see Cost of RN programs). Approved enrollment is a yearly maximum set by the BRN, not a count of open seats for your cycle.
How programs here choose students
Lottery after a minimum: Copper Mountain College. Points combined with a lottery: Chaffey College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Riverside City College. The others rank by points, use holistic review or admit by eligibility, or haven't published a method. Each method is explained in How California nursing schools choose students, and the statewide comparison is in Lottery vs. points by region.
Two examples:
- Riverside City College (ADN) combines points and a lottery, and its BRN listing shows a total program cost of $9,648–$10,150. Use the RCC calculator.
- San Bernardino Valley College (ADN) uses only the most recent completed grade in anatomy, physiology and microbiology. Use the SBVC calculator.
Deadlines to know
- Chaffey College (ADN): Fall 2027: Mar 1 to Mar 31, 2027
- Victor Valley College (ADN): Fall 2027: Feb 1 to Feb 26, 2027
- CSU San Bernardino (BSN): Fall 2027: Jan 4 to Feb 5, 2027
Sources: each school's page, as listed in the application deadlines calendar (checked Oct 12, 2026). Dates change, so open the school's link before you plan around one.
Labs and recency
San Bernardino Valley College "is currently not accepting any science courses with online labs," except Spring 2020–Fall 2021 (rechecked Oct 13, 2026); Chaffey College accepts online labs from Spring 2020 on; College of the Desert accepts online or hybrid labs "until further notice" (checked Oct 9, 2026). See the full list in Do California programs accept online labs?
Concurrent ADN-to-BSN option
Riverside City College offers an RCC-CSU Concurrent Enrollment Program described as a "2 ½ - 3-year (full-time) program" (checked Oct 13, 2026). See Concurrent ADN-to-BSN programs.
Regional context (older BRN data)
The BRN last published regional admissions figures for 2015–16. That year, programs in its Inland Empire region (the BRN groups Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties together as the Inland Empire region) reported 3,611 qualified applications and 2,015 new enrollments (https://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/education/inlandempire.pdf, Tables 4 and 5). These figures are ten years old, so treat them as background only. Statewide, there were about 31 seats per 100 qualified applications in 2024–25. See Seats per applicant.
A plan for applicants
- Shortlist by route and method. Mix points and lottery programs if you qualify for both, and include BSN or ELM programs if they fit your plans. See Pick your path.
- Check prerequisites against every school on the list. Use the prerequisite planner.
- Score yourself. Use the points calculators where a rubric is published.
- Put every window on your calendar. See the 9-step RN path.
- Confirm BRN approval. See Is my nursing program BRN-approved?
Common mistakes
- Applying to only one or two programs when the methods and windows differ.
- Taking an online lab before checking whether your target programs accept it.
- Comparing listed costs with different bases.
- Missing a university's separate application (Cal State Apply or the UC application) for BSN programs.
Frequently asked questions
How many nursing programs are in the Inland Empire?
SEAPHE counts 18 open BRN-approved pre-licensure RN programs in Riverside and San Bernardino counties (10 ADN, 5 BSN, 3 ELM).
Which programs here use a lottery?
Lottery after a minimum: Copper Mountain College. Points plus lottery: Chaffey College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Riverside City College.
Does the BRN publish acceptance rates for these programs?
No. The BRN doesn't publish acceptance rates for individual programs. SEAPHE shows each program's BRN-approved enrollment instead.
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Sources
- BRN Pre-Licensure RN Programs list: https://www.rn.ca.gov/education/rnprograms.shtml (checked 2026-10-07).
- SEAPHE admission records (selection method per school, school URLs on each school page): each school’s own admissions pages, linked on its SEAPHE school page (checked 2026-10-09).
- SEAPHE deadlines calendar (each row links the school’s own page), seaphe.org/nursing-application-deadlines/ (checked 2026-10-12).
- BRN 2015–16 regional report (Inland Empire), Tables 4 and 5: https://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/education/inlandempire.pdf (checked 2026-10-07).
- BRN 2024–25 Annual School Report (statewide seats per application): https://www.rn.ca.gov/pdfs/education/prelicensure24-25.pdf (checked 2026-10-07).
Last updated Oct 13, 2026. Figures change every year; check each source for the latest release.