2024 Rankings: The 10 Best Nursing Schools in San Diego County

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is a non-profit university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Additionally, several of the university’s nursing programs are programmatically accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The School of Nursing offers a breadth of graduate programs including five MSN role specialties, three post-graduate certificates, and a DNP curriculum with both BSN and MSN entry points. Courses are led by faculty-practitioners who are experts in their respective fields. Coursework for all programs is conducted predominantly online. The MSN program also features optional immersions, while the DNP program with FNP role specialty requires one on-campus clinical intensive. Graduates are prepared to seek employment in their chosen role specialty: nurse educator, nurse executive, adult-gerontology nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, or psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.

The SDSU School of Nursing combines classroom instruction with hands-on experience at several venues. Facilities include a media lab, a health assessment lab, a nursing fundamentals skills labs, and the Sharp Healthcare Human Patient Simulation Center. Undergraduates can pursue a traditional BSN degree or an RN-to-BSN completion program. SDSU graduates 100-150 traditional BSN students each year, with a remarkable 96% first-time NCLEX pass rate over the past six years. Graduate students can select an MSN concentration in either advanced practice nursing of adults and the elderly or nursing leadership in healthcare systems.

National University is the first academic institution in the world to pursue and achieve Planetree Recognition. The School of Health and Human Services offers ten programs within the Department of Nursing, spanning the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate options include a traditional BSN, a post-bachelor’s BSN, an LVN-to-BSN pathway, and an online RN-to-BSN. Graduate offerings include an MSN program, two post-graduate nurse practitioner certificates (family and psychiatric-mental health), and a doctor of nurse anesthesia practice (DNAP) degree. National University produces 200-300 prelicensure BSN graduates annually, and these students have achieved a noteworthy 91% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam over the past decade.

MiraCosta College opened in 1934 as Oceanside-Carlsbad Junior College with 120 students and 20 faculty members. Today, the school employs more than 500 staff members that serve nearly 14,000 students enrolled in certificate, associate degree, and baccalaureate degree programs. The college’s Nursing and Allied Health Department offers an LVN certificate and two pathways to an associate degree (traditional, LVN-to-RN career ladder). Nursing coursework covers a broad range of topics including medical-surgical nursing, pharmacology, and contemporary nursing practice and leadership. Graduates are well prepared to sit for their respective licensure examinations. Over the past decade, LVN students have averaged a 93% first-time NCLEX-PN pass rate, while their ADN counterparts have achieved an astounding 97% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate.

Grossmont College educates more transfer students to San Diego State University than any other community college. Indeed, Grossmont is one of the largest community colleges in the region, serving nearly 20,000 students. The Division of Allied Health and Nursing is one of the college’s most active areas. Nursing pathways include a two-year ADN program, an LVN-to-RN bridge, and a 30-unit option. These programs prepare students to work in a wide range of care settings, including acute, ambulatory, chronic, critical, and home health. Graduates are prepared to take the NCLEX-RN licensure examination. Over the past decade, approximately sixty graduates annually have achieved a remarkable 97% first-time NCLEX pass rate.