The leading community colleges for nursing in California instruct students in the latest medical theory and technology by combining rigorous classwork with hands-on clinical training. While earning an associates degree in nursing (ADN), students satisfy the prerequisites for nursing programs that offer advanced degrees (e.g. RN, BSN and MSN), and become eligible to sit for both the NCLEX-PN and NCLEX-RN licensure examinations.
Best of all, the state’s community colleges enable students to receive a top-tier education at a small fraction of the price one typically pays for tuition at a conventional university or private school. Because most associates degree programs can be completed in as little as two years, nursing candidates are also able to begin their careers much sooner than their peers at other nursing schools in California.
About Community Colleges for Nursing in California
As of November 2011, the California Board of Registered Nursing recognizes and licenses the nursing programs at 72 different community colleges. This vital accreditation means that graduates from these programs will be immediately eligible to take either the NCLEX-PN and become a Licensed Vocational Nurse or the NCLEX-RN and become a Registered Nurse.
It should be noted, however, that many of community college nursing programs in California are severely impacted. As a result, admission requirements have become increasingly stringent in recent years, and some programs have resorted to using lotteries in order to determine which approved applicants gain admission each semester.
Directory of Community Colleges for Nursing in California
The following directory of accredited community colleges for nursing in California is organized alphabetically by city. Contact information is included for each school along with the final NCLEX-RN pass rates for program graduates in 2010.
Aptos
Cabrillo College
6500 Soquel Drive
Aptos, CA 95003
Phone: (831) 479-6280
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 86.0%
Bakersfield
Bakersfield College
1801 Panorama Drive
Bakersfield, CA 93305
Phone: (661) 395-4282
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 93.2%
Compton
El Camino College – Compton Education Center
1111 Artesia Boulevard
Compton, CA 90221
Phone: (310) 900-1600 xt. 2700
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 71.9%
Cupertino
De Anza College
21250 Stevens Creek Boulevard
Cupertino, CA 95014
Phone: (408) 864-5618
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 85.9%
Cypress
Cypress College
9200 Valley View Street
Cypress, CA 90630
Phone: (714) 484-7283
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.5%
El Cajon
Grossmont College
8800 Grossmont College Drive
El Cajon, CA 92001
Phone: (619) 644-7300
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 89.4%
Eureka
College of the Redwoods
7351 Tompkins Hill Road
Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 476-4214
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 76.7%
Fremont
Ohlone College
43600 Mission Boulevard
Fremont, CA 94539
Phone: (510) 659-6030
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 95.8%
Fresno
Fresno City College
1101 East University Avenue
Fresno, CA 93741
Phone: (559) 244-2604
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 77.9%
Gilroy
Gavilan College
5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard
Gilroy, CA 95020
Phone: (408) 848-4883
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.3%
Glendale
Glendale Community College
1500 North Verdugo Road
Glendale, CA 91208
Phone: (818) 551-5270
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 93.0%
Glendora
Citrus College
1000 West Foothill Boulevard
Glendora, CA 91741
Phone: (626) 914-8720
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100.0%
Hayward
Chabot College
25555 Hesperian Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94545
Phone: (510) 723-6896
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 95.0%
Huntington Beach
Golden West College
15744 Goldenwest Street
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Phone: (714) 895-8285
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.6%
Imperial
Imperial Valley College
380 East Aten Road
Imperial, CA 92251
Phone: (760) 355-6348
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 88.2%
Joshua Tree
Copper Mountain College
6162 Rotary Way, PO Box 1398
Joshua Tree, CA 92252
Phone: (760) 366-3791
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 75.9%
Kentfield
College of Marin
835 College Avenue
Kentfield, CA 94904
Phone: (415) 485-9319
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 82.6%
Lancaster
Antelope Valley College
3041 West Avenue K
Lancaster, CA 93536-5426
Phone: (661) 722-6300 xt. 6402
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 94.6%
Lemoore
West Hills College Lemoore
555 College Avenue
Lemoore, CA 93245
Phone: (559) 925-3490
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100.0%
Long Beach
Long Beach City College
4901 East Carson Street
Long Beach, CA 90808
Phone: (562) 938-4166
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 98.2%
Los Angeles
Los Angeles City College
855 North Vermont Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Phone: (323) 953-4000 xt. 2053
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 89.7%
Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health
1237 North Mission Road
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Phone: (323) 226-4911
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 97.7%
Los Angeles Southwest College
1600 West Imperial Highway
Los Angeles, CA 90047
Phone: (323) 241-5327
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 82.5%
Los Angeles Trade-Tech College
400 West Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (213) 763-7170
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 75.7%
Madera
Reedley College at Madera Community College Center
30277 Avenue #12
Madera, CA 93638
Phone: (559) 675-4877
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: N/A
Marysville
Yuba College
2088 North Beale Road
Marysville, CA 95901
Phone: (530) 741-6784
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.5%
Menifee
Mt. San Jacinto College
23287 La Piedra Road
Menifee, CA 92584
Phone: (909) 672-6752 xt. 2601
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 96.0%
Merced
Merced College
3600 M Street
Merced, CA 95348-2989
Phone: (209) 384-6123
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 80.0%
Mission Viejo
Saddleback College
28000 Marguerite Parkway
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
Phone: (949) 582-4700
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 99.1%
Modesto
Modesto Junior College
435 College Avenue
Modesto, CA 95350
Phone: (209) 575-6362
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 86.2%
Monterey
Monterey Peninsula College
980 Fremont Street
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone: (831) 646-4258
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 100.0%
Monterey Park
East Los Angeles College
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Phone: (323) 265-8896
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 61.7%
Moorpark
Moorpark College
7075 Campus Road
Moorpark, CA 93021
Phone: (805) 378-1400 xt. 1706
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 88.3%
Napa
Napa Valley College
2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway
Napa, CA 94558
Phone: (707) 253-3132
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 84.1%
Norwalk
Cerritos College
11110 Alondra Boulevard
Norwalk, CA 90650
Phone: (562) 860-2451 xt, 2551
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 93.8%
Oakland
Merritt College
12500 Campus Drive
Oakland, CA 94619
Phone: (510) 436-2487
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 97.1%
Oceanside
Mira Costa College
1 Barnard Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
Phone: (760) 795-6651
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 90.5%
Oroville
Butte College
3536 Butte Campus Drive
Oroville, CA 95965
Phone: (530) 879-4338
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 82.4%
Palm Desert
College of the Desert
43-500 Monterey Avenue
Palm Desert, CA 92260
Phone: (760) 568-3093
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.2%
Pasadena
Pasadena City College
1570 East Colorado Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 91106-2003
Phone: (626) 585-7323
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 86.8%
Pittsburg
Los Medanos College
2700 East Leland Road
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Phone: (925) 439-2181 xt. 3286
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.5%
Porterville
Porterville College
100 E. College Avenue
Porterville, CA 93257
Phone: (559) 791-2321
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: N/A
Rancho Cucamonga
Chaffey College
5885 Haven Avenue
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737
Phone: (909) 652-6672
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 96.2%
Riverside
Riverside City College
4800 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA 92506
Phone: (909) 222-8407
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.7%
Rocklin
Sierra College
5000 Rocklin Road
Rocklin, CA 95677
Phone: (916) 781-6220
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 94.0%
Sacramento
American River College
4700 College Oak Drive
Sacramento, CA 95841
Phone: (916) 484-8254
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.2%
Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95822
Phone: (916) 558-2271
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.9%
Salinas
Hartnell College
156 Homestead Avenue
Salinas, CA 93901
Phone: (831) 770-6146
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.9%
San Bernardino
San Bernardino Valley College
701 South Mount Vernon
San Bernardino, CA 91024
Phone: (909) 384-4450
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 82.2%
San Diego
San Diego City College
1313 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 388-3441
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 89.3%
Southwestern College
8100 Gigantic Street
San Diego, CA 92154
Phone: (619) 482-6352
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 73.5%
San Francisco
City College of San Francisco
50 Phelan Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: (415) 239-3218
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 89.3%
San Jose
Evergreen Valley College
3095 Yerba Buena Road
San Jose, CA 95135
Phone: (408) 270-6448
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: N/A
San Luis Obispo
Cuesta College
PO Box 8106
San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
Phone: (805) 546-3119
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.2%
San Marcos
Palomar College
1140 West Mission Road
San Marcos, CA 92069
Phone: (760) 744-1150 xt. 2279
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 87.3%
San Mateo
College of San Mateo
1700 West Hillsdale Boulevard
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: (650) 574-6218
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 70.9%
San Pablo
Contra Costa College
2600 Mission Bell Drive
San Pablo, CA 94806
Phone: (510) 235-7800 xt. 4267
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 96.1%
Santa Ana
Santa Ana College
1530 West 17th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92706-3398
Phone: (714) 564-6825
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 95.5%
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara City College
721 Cliff Drive
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
Phone: (805) 965-0581 xt. 2366
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 88.4%
Santa Clara
Mission College
3000 Mission College Boulevard, MS #19
Santa Clara, CA 95054-1897
Phone: (408) 855-5106
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 82.1%
Santa Clarita
College of the Canyons
26455 Rockwell Canyon Road
Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Phone: (661) 362-3369
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 88.1%
Santa Maria
Allan Hancock College
800 South College Drive
Santa Maria, CA 93454
Phone: (805) 922-6966 xt. 3543
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 80.0%
Santa Monica
Santa Monica College
1900 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: (310) 434-3453
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 97.4%
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa Junior College
1501 Mendocino Avenue
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Phone: (707) 527-4271
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.9%
Stockton
San Joaquin Delta College
5151 Pacific Avenue
Stockton, CA 95207
Phone: (209) 954-5454
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 88.9%
Suisun City
Solano Community College
4000 Suisun Valley Road
Suisun City, CA 94585-3917
Phone: (707) 864-7108
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 85.7%
Torrance
El Camino College
16007 Crenshaw Boulevard
Torrance, CA 90506
Phone: (310) 660-3281
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.0%
Ukiah
Mendocino College
1000 Hensley Creek Road
Ukiah, CA 95482
Phone: (707) 468-3099
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 93.3%
Valley Glen
Los Angeles Valley College
5800 Fulton Avenue
Valley Glen, CA 91401
Phone: (818) 947-2559
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 88.1%
Ventura
Ventura College
4667 Telegraph Road
Ventura, CA 93003
Phone: (805) 654-6342
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 92.5%
Victorville
Victor Valley College
18422 Bear Valley Road
Victorville, CA 92395
Phone: (760) 245-4271 xt. 2285
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: N/A
Visalia
College of the Sequoias
915 South Mooney Boulevard
Visalia, CA 93277
Phone: (559) 730-3732
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 89.0%
Walnut
Mt. San Antonio College
1100 North Grand Avenue
Walnut, CA 91789
Phone: (909) 594-5611 xt. 4560
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 94.1%
Whittier
Rio Hondo College
3600 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601-1699
Phone: (562) 908-3421
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 91.4%
Wilmington
Los Angeles Harbor College
1111 Figueroa Place
Wilmington, CA 90744
Phone: (310) 233-4360
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 95.2%
Woodland Hills
Pierce College
6201 Winnetka Avenue
Woodland Hills, CA 91371
Phone: (818) 719-6477
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 97.9%
Yreka
College of the Siskiyous
2001 Campus Drive
Yreka, CA 96097
Phone: (530) 841-5929
2010 NCLEX-RN Pass Rate: 96.3%