by 
The huge demand for nurses is present in many US states.
In California, for instance, this demand is seen in two areas.
First, in the huge training opportunities.
And secondly, in the employment of LVNs across the country.
You can notice that every day.
But mostly, this demand is noticed when the state itself creates projects to know more about it.
Hence, The Bureau Labor of Statistics is the main healthcare institution in California.
As such, it has foreseen a 12% increase in LVN employment in 2026.
This increase has caused a huge interest in the field of nursing.
However, this employment does not happen over the night.
To be more concise, an hour of nursing in California is paid $24.94.
While the annual salary is $51,870.
While the two sums together make up nearly $7,840.
That in itself is more than the national average in the US per year.
We’ve heard so many inspirational words to go for a nursing career in California.
But now let’s focus more on the procedures you need to follow to get there.
First and foremost, choose a school that has programs approved by the state.
This is important because of the license.
It has to state eligible for you to use it everywhere.
Next, do your best to find approved programs.
You can find them where else but in, community colleges, technical centers, and private career schools throughout the state.
In California, the number of LVN schools is indeed huge.
But I have decided to choose quality over quantity for this article.
Therefore, by the end of it, only 50 of them have been listed carefully.
The listing has been done in accordance with the results of the NCLEX-PN exam.
Specifically, the first-time pass rates done these last years were the main focus.
Table of Contents
Details on California LVN Schools & Classes
Becoming an LVN in California is all a matter of a good education.
The first thing to note is attending an accredited school and graduate from it as well.
After that, the student should proceed right away with the NCLEX-PN exam.
Only after doing that he or she can get the license.
LVN programs are easily accessible to students.
They can be mainly found at colleges, technical and vocational schools and so on.
Knowing that students can visit these places and see which program works best for them.
These programs have different courses and labs which are taught in it.
However, among them students may also find a mixture of the following courses:
- Anatomy and Physiology for Vocational Nurses
- Nursing of the Mature Adult Theory
- Pediatric Nursing Theory
Accreditation
If you have the privilege to choose, you have the right to make the best choice too.
But the best choice you can take when choosing which LVN program to attend in California, is to make sure one is accredited.
Accreditation is an indicator that the school works at high academic standards.
And you should stand for the same in your life as well.
In this state, accrediting bodies to consider are two.
One is the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
The other is the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians.
If not them, you can also check for regional accrediting organizations also.
They will all help you find accredited programs around the state.
Admission Requirements
In order to be admitted to a particular LVN program in California, you need to meet some criteria.
From these criteria, you may be asked to send the following documents:
- High school diploma or GED
- Transcripts of any previous college work
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- CPR certification for healthcare providers
Tuition and Costs
Nowadays, money is a concern for many.
Especially, to students since they do not have yet their own personal incomes secured.
And, an LVN education does not come for free, unless you cannot afford it all by yourself.
For those who can, tuition, mandatory fees, uniforms, and textbooks are in their responsibility.
An example of the total LVN cost is Pasadena City College in California.
If you attend this college, you have to pay a total of $4,463 to afford the entire program.
California LVN Licensing Requirements
Despite the admission, there are also other licensing requirements students need to complete to get their LVN license.
First, they need to have a full share of 1,530 education hours.
These hours should be done at different LVN schools, such as vocational or trade ones which are approved by the California Nursing Board.
The rest of these hours, 576 from them belong to the theoretical part, while 54 belong to the pharmacology.
Students need also to take training at different nursing topics.
From them, there are to be mentioned anatomy and physiology, psychology, communications, patient education, nutrition, growth and development, rehabilitation, maternity, and others.
The entire program, however, can take 12 to 20 months’ time to finish.
As always, the length depends on the schedule, whether the students attend it part-time or full-time.
LVNs may also be asked to perform physical activities that will prepare them for work.
Actions such as lifting patients, pulling and pushing patients and machinery, as well as walking, running, squatting and standing for a longer time than usual are included.
The licenses in California are renewed every two years.
If the LVN forgets to do so, he or she needs to finish some 30 hours more of continued education covering the next two years.
NCLEX Exam Information
NCLEX-PN exam is the last step to LVN qualification.
The test comes after graduation and training.
It is made of 100 questions related to nursing.
Students who are not ready for the exam can take the practical one first.
LVN Reciprocity and eNLC
California is not in the range of states who are part of the eNLC compact.
So the rules of the compact are not applicable in this case.
An applicant that comes from another state can apply for an LVN license in California by means of an endorsement.
As part of the application, he or she needs to complete the following requirements:
- Graduated from an approved LVN program
- Graduated from another state’s approved LVN/LPN program
- Completed and education and experience equivalent
- Completed the education and experience equivalent in the US military
Additionally, the applicant who applies for endorsement must also fulfill certain criteria.
He must have:
- received a passing score on either the NCLEX or SBTPE and verify her current license through submission.
The Best LVN Schools in California
There are over 50 Top-ranked LVN schools in California.
The less ranked programs have not been included.
But obviously, there are many opportunities for students who aim for this profession.
School Name Address Santa Barbara Business College - Santa Maria 303 East Plaza Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93454 Copper Mountain College 6162 Rotary Way, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 Mira Costa College 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056 Allan Hancock College 800 S College Dr, Santa Maria, CA 93454 Gavilan College 5055 Santa Teresa Blvd, Gilroy, CA 95020 College of the Redwoods 7351 Tompkins Hill Rd, Eureka, CA 95501 Santa Barbara City College 721 Cliff Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93109 Annenberg School of Nursing 19300 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335 Tulare Adult School 575 W Maple Ave, Tulare, CA 93274 North Orange County ROP 385 N Muller St, Anaheim, CA 92801 Bakersfield Adult School 2727 F Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301 Career Development Institute 1830 S Robertson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035 College of the Siskiyous 800 College Ave, Weed, CA 96094 Santa Rosa Junior College 1501 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 Mission College 3000 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Sri Sai Krish Institute 12362 Beach Blvd. Suite #14, Stanton, CA 90680 Stanbridge University 2041 Business Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92612 Riverside City College 4800 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92506 Rio Hondo College 3600 Workman Mill Rd, Whittier, CA 90601 College of Nursing & Technology 18700 Sherman Way #203, Reseda, CA 91335 Grossmont Health Occupations Center 9368 Oakbourne Rd, Santee, CA 92071 Antelope Valley College 3041 West Avenue K, Lancaster, CA 93536 Beaumont Adult School 1575 Cherry Avenue, Beaumont, CA 92223 Inland Career Education Center 1200 North E St, San Bernardino, CA 92405 Fresno Adult School 2500 Stanislaus St, Fresno, CA 93721 Ukiah Adult School 1056 N Bush St, Ukiah, CA 95482 Southwestern College 900 Otay Lakes Rd, Chula Vista, CA 91910 Allied Medical & Health Services, Inc. 730 S. Central Ave Ste 208, Glendale, CA 91204 Cerro Coso College 3000 College Heights Blvd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555 Xavier College 1130 N El Dorado St, Stockton, CA 95202 Hartnell Community College 411 Central Ave, Salinas, CA 93901 Citrus College 1000 W Foothill Blvd, Glendora, CA 91741 Cuesta College Highway 1, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403 - North-West College - Long Beach 3799 E Burnett St., Long Beach, CA 90815 Bakersfield College 1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93305 Carrington College - Sacramento 8909 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95826 Palo Verde Community College 1 College Dr, Blythe, CA 92225 Madera Community College Center 30277 Avenue 12, Madera, CA 93638 Unitek College - Sacramento 1111 Howe Ave #300, Sacramento, CA 95825 Sacramento City College 3835 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822 Hacienda La Puente Adult Education 14101 E Nelson Ave, La Puente, CA 91746 West Coast Ultrasound Institute - Ontario 3700 E. Inland Empire Blvd. Suite 235, Ontario, CA 91764 Merced Community College 3600 M St, Merced, CA 95348 Career Care Institute 43770 15th St W, Lancaster, CA 93534 Concorde Career College - North Hollywood 12412 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91606 San Joaquin Valley College - Fresno 295 E Sierra Ave, Fresno, CA 93710 College of the Redwoods - Del Norte Education Center 883 W. Washington Blvd, Crescent City, CA 95531 Clovis Adult Education School 1452 David E Cook Way, Clovis, CA 93611 Concorde Career College - San Diego 4393 Imperial Ave., Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92113 Homestead Schools, Inc. 23800 Hawthorne Blvd., Suite 200, Torrance, CA 90505
LVN Salaries in California
LVN Salaries in California depend from place to place.
But they also depend on other factors.
These factors include education, experience at work as well as skills.
Annual Salary Range:Location Avg. Annual Salary Los Angeles $54,216 San Diego $52,517 San Jose $61,301 San Francisco $61,203 Long Beach $54,463 Fresno $48,943 Sacramento $52,797 Oakland $57,882 Santa Ana $54,512 Anaheim $54,585 Regional Salary in California
Region Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary Bakersfield, CA 1,230 $65,650 $31.56 $76,720 $50,380 Chico, CA 420 $64,720 $31.12 $75,740 $52,430 El Centro, CA 260 $63,110 $30.34 $71,570 $49,250 Fresno, CA 1,800 $65,080 $31.29 $78,310 $50,250 Hanford-Corcoran, CA 270 $67,260 $32.34 $71,570 $57,110 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 28,280 $68,530 $32.95 $83,660 $52,000 Madera, CA 220 $65,640 $31.56 $73,110 $51,010 Merced, CA 260 $62,300 $29.95 $77,640 $50,950 Modesto, CA 950 $66,300 $31.87 $82,980 $50,590 Napa, CA 310 $76,370 $36.72 $95,530 $57,110 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 1,220 $66,570 $32 $80,330 $50,110 Redding, CA 460 $62,150 $29.88 $75,030 $48,420 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 8,170 $64,880 $31.19 $77,750 $49,640 Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 4,200 $71,280 $34.27 $94,870 $51,840 Salinas, CA 680 $69,710 $33.51 $80,350 $53,330 San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 6,150 $67,750 $32.57 $82,170 $51,840 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 8,730 $80,470 $38.69 $103,170 $62,700 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 3,020 $80,590 $38.75 $101,330 $63,260 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA 480 $69,120 $33.23 $81,880 $58,400 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 300 $70,550 $33.92 $92,780 $52,040 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 600 $68,390 $32.88 $80,990 $52,030 Santa Rosa, CA 890 $76,710 $36.88 $103,180 $61,880 Stockton-Lodi, CA 1,270 $68,440 $32.9 $86,210 $51,130 Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 850 $76,240 $36.66 $104,110 $60,770 Visalia-Porterville, CA 740 $61,190 $29.42 $76,670 $49,720 Yuba City, CA 250 $66,260 $31.86 $82,930 $51,700
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
LPN Programs by State