ADN Programs in California

Did you know California is among the states where registered nurses (RNs) earn top salaries? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average yearly salary for RNs in the state today is $137,690! And if that is not enough to pique your interest, the BLS expects that there will be an increasing need for nursing professionals for many years to come.

Source: Projections Central, BLS

Another fantastic benefit of becoming a registered nurse in California is the ability to quickly get started in your career by earning a two-year associate degree in nursing (ADN). If you choose to further your career in the future, you can pursue a BSN or MSN degree through an accelerated bridge program. During your college career, you will have the opportunity to work alongside other students in classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings, gaining the necessary skills to care for a variety of patients in healthcare environments.

Most California students are able to complete their ADN programs in two years, after which they can sit for their national nursing exam. The NCLEX-RN is a required prerequisite for obtaining your RN license in California.

Related: Typical Admission Requirements for an ADN Program

The Best ADN Programs in California

California has many great colleges where you can earn your ADN. The following schools are some of the finest in the state.

1. Allan Hancock College

   800 S College Dr, Santa Maria, CA 93454 (805) 922-6966

2. American Career College

   4021 Rosewood Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 668-7555

3. American River College

   4700 College Oak Dr, Sacramento, CA 95841 (916) 484-8011

4. Antelope Valley College

   3041 W Ave K, Lancaster, CA 93536 (661) 722-6300

5. Bakersfield College

   1801 Panorama Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93305 (661) 395-4011

6. Butte College

   3536 Butte Campus Dr, Oroville, CA 95965 (530) 895-2511

7. Cabrillo College

   6500 Soquel Dr, Aptos, CA 95003 (831) 479-6100

8. Career Networks Institute

   702 Town and Country Rd, Orange, CA 92868 (714) 437-9697

9. Carrington College

   8909 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95826 (916) 361-1660

10. CBD College

    3699 Wilshire Blvd 4th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (323) 937-7772

11. Cerritos College

    11110 Alondra Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650 (562) 860-2451

12. Chabot College

    25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545 (510) 723-6600

13. Chaffey College

    5885 Haven Ave, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737 (909) 987-1737

14. Citrus College

    1000 W Foothill Blvd, Glendora, CA 91741 (626) 963-0323

15. City College of San Francisco

    50 Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 239-3000

16. College of Marin

    835 College Ave, Kentfield, CA 94904 (415) 457-8811

17. College of San Mateo

    1700 W Hillsdale Blvd, San Mateo, CA 94402 (650) 574-6161

18. College of the Canyons

    26455 Rockwell Canyon Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91355 (661) 259-7800

19. College of the Desert

    43500 Monterey Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260 (760) 346-8041

20. College of the Redwoods

    7351 Tompkins Hill Rd, Eureka, CA 95501 (707) 476-4100

21. College of the Sequoias

    915 S Mooney Blvd, Visalia, CA 93277 (559) 730-3702

22. College of the Siskiyous

    800 College Ave, Weed, CA 96094 (530) 938-5555

23. Contra Costa College

    2600 Mission Bell Dr, San Pablo, CA 94806 (510) 235-7800

24. Copper Mountain Community College

    6162 Rotary Way, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 (760) 366-3791

25. Cuesta College

    CA-1, San Luis Obispo, CA (805) 546-3100

26. Cypress College

    9200 Valley View St, Cypress, CA 90630 (714) 484-7000

27. De Anza College

    21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 864-5678

28. East Los Angeles College

    1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park, CA 91754 (323) 265-8650

29. El Camino College

    1111 E Artesia Blvd, Compton, CA 90221 (310) 900-1600

30. El Camino Community College

    16007 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance, CA 90506 (310) 532-3670

31. Evergreen Valley College

    3095 Yerba Buena Rd, San Jose, CA 95135 (408) 274-7900

32. Fresno City College

    1101 E University Ave, Fresno, CA 93741 (559) 442-4600

33. Gavilan College

    5055 Santa Teresa Blvd, Gilroy, CA 95020 (408) 848-4800

34. Glendale Community College

    1500 N Verdugo Rd, Glendale, CA 91208 (818) 240-1000

35. Golden West College

    15744 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 (714) 892-7711

36. Grossmont College

    8800 Grossmont College Dr, El Cajon, CA 92020 (619) 644-7000

37. Hartnell College

    411 Central Ave, Salinas, CA 93901 (831) 755-6700

38. Imperial Valley College

    380 E Aten Rd, Imperial, CA 92251 (760) 352-8320

39. Loma Linda University

    11139 Anderson St, Loma Linda, CA 92354 (909) 558-1400

40. Long Beach City College

    4901 E Carson St, Long Beach, CA 90808 (562) 938-4111

41. Los Angeles City College

    855 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029 (323) 953-4000

42. Los Angeles Harbor College

    1111 Figueroa Pl, Wilmington, CA 90744 (310) 233-4000

43. Los Angeles Pierce College

    6201 Winnetka Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (818) 719-6401

44. Los Angeles Southwest College

    1600 W Imperial Hwy, Los Angeles, CA 90047 (323) 241-5225

45. Los Angeles Trade Technical College

    400 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015 (213) 763-7000

46. Los Angeles Valley College

    5800 Fulton Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91401 (818) 947-2600

47. Los Medanos College

    2700 E Leland Rd, Pittsburg, CA 94565 (925) 439-2181

48. Mendocino College

    1000 Hensley Creek Rd, Ukiah, CA 95482 (707) 468-3235

49. Merced College

    3600 M St, Merced, CA 95348 (209) 384-6000

50. Merritt College

    12500 Campus Dr, Oakland, CA 94619 (510) 531-4911

51. MiraCosta College

    1 Barnard Dr, Oceanside, CA 92056 (760) 757-2121

52. Mission College

    3000 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054 (408) 988-2200

53. Modesto Junior College

    435 College Ave, Modesto, CA 95350 (209) 575-6550

54. Monterey Peninsula College

    980 Fremont St, Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 646-4000

55. Moorpark College

    7075 Campus Rd, Moorpark, CA 93021 (805) 378-1400

56. Mount Saint Mary's University

    12001 Chalon Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (310) 954-4000

57. Mt San Antonio College

    1100 N Grand Ave, Walnut, CA 91789 (909) 594-5611

58. Mt San Jacinto Community College

    1499 N State St, San Jacinto, CA 92583 (951) 487-6752

59. Napa Valley College

    2277 Napa Vallejo Hwy, Napa, CA 94558 (707) 253-3000

60. National University

    11255 N Torrey Pines Rd, San Diego, CA 92037 (800) 628-8648

61. Ohlone College

    43600 Mission Blvd, Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 659-6000

62. Pacific Union College

    1 Angwin Ave, Angwin, CA 94508 (707) 965-6313

63. Palomar College

    1140 W Mission Rd, San Marcos, CA 92069 (760) 744-1150

64. Pasadena City College

    1570 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106 (626) 585-7123

65. Porterville College

    100 E College Ave, Porterville, CA 93257 (559) 791-2200

66. Riverside City College

    4800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92506 (951) 222-8000

67. Sacramento City College

    3835 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822 (916) 558-2111

68. Saddleback College

    28000 Marguerite Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA 92692 (949) 582-4500

69. San Bernardino Valley College

    701 S Mt Vernon Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92410 (909) 384-4400

70. San Diego City College

    1313 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 388-3400

71. San Joaquin Delta College

    5151 Pacific Ave, Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 954-5151

72. San Joaquin Valley College

    8344 W Mineral King Ave, Visalia, CA 93291 (559) 651-2500

73. Santa Ana College

    1530 W 17th St, Santa Ana, CA 92706 (714) 564-6000

74. Santa Barbara City College

    721 Cliff Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 (805) 965-0581

75. Santa Monica College

    1900 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 434-4000

76. Santa Rosa Junior College

    1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 (707) 527-4011

77. Shasta College

    11555 Old Oregon Trail, Redding, CA 96003 (530) 242-7500

78. Sierra College

    5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA 95677 (916) 624-3333

79. Solano Community College

    4000 Suisun Valley Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534 (707) 864-7000

80. Southwestern College

    900 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91910 (619) 482-6550

81. Unitek College

    4670 Auto Mall Pkwy, Fremont, CA 94538 (510) 249-1060

82. University of Phoenix

    45 River Park Pl W #300, Fresno, CA 93720 (800) 266-2107

83. University of Phoenix

    2860 Gateway Oaks Dr #200, Sacramento, CA 95833 (800) 266-2107

84. University of Phoenix

    3890 Murphy Canyon Rd #100, San Diego, CA 92123 (800) 473-4346

85. University of Phoenix

    3100 Bristol St #500, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (800) 888-1968

86. University of Phoenix

    3090 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 (800) 266-2107

87. Ventura College

    4667 Telegraph Rd, Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 654-6400

88. Victor Valley College

    18422 Bear Valley Rd, Victorville, CA 92395 (760) 245-4271

89. West Coast University

    12215 Victory Blvd, North Hollywood, CA 91606 (818) 299-5500

90. West Coast University

    2855 E Guasti Rd, Ontario, CA 91761 (909) 467-6100

91. West Coast University

    1477 S Manchester Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802 (714) 782-1700

92. Yuba College

    2088 N Beale Rd, Marysville, CA 95901 (530) 741-6700

Job Outlook & Salary for RNs in California

RNs in California are in high demand, with a projected 12.9% job growth from 2022 to 2032, according to Projection Central. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are 332,560 RNs in the state, earning an average annual salary of $137,690, or $66.20 per hour.

Use our RN salary calculator to estimate your potential earnings based on location, experience, and education.

Explore salary trends for RNs in California's metro areas below:

Source: BLS

Conclusion

California’s healthcare industry offers numerous opportunities for nurses. By completing an ADN program at a top institution, you can secure a fulfilling career with strong job stability, growth potential, and competitive pay.