Career Training Path › LPN / LVN programs › California
LPN / LVN programs in California
California has 79 accredited campuses awarding lpn credentials. If you finish and work as a licensed practical nurse in California, expect to start around $64,390–$74,840 and reach a median of $79,750 with experience; the top quarter earn $93,720 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, California). Graduates of these California programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $41,412 in their first year, against $37,410 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses earn in California
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 82,850 employed in California. National median: $64,400.
Campuses in California, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AlhambraAnaheimAntiochArtesiaBakersfieldBeaumontBlytheBurbankChula VistaClovisCosta MesaDowneyEurekaFremontGilroyGlendaleGlendoraHaywardIrvineJoshua TreeLa PuenteLancasterLong BeachLos AngelesMaderaMercedNapaOceansideOntarioOrangeOrovillePalm DesertPalm SpringsPanorama CityParamountPasadenaPomonaQuincyRancho CucamongaRancho Mirage
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unitek College | South San Francisco | for-profit | 130 | $56,335 | $16,973 | 73% | $27,497 |
| Unitek College | Hayward | for-profit | 87 | $56,335 | $16,973 | 63% | $22,524 |
| Blake Austin College | Vacaville | for-profit | 109 | $53,553 | $17,900 | 89% | $34,706 |
| Unitek College | Fremont | for-profit | 860 | $52,224 | $16,610 | not reported | $27,775 |
| Angeles College | Los Angeles | for-profit | 135 | $49,836 | $20,000 | not reported | $33,854 |
| Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts | San Jose | for-profit | 622 | $49,406 | $17,317 | not reported | $36,834 |
| Carrington College-Sacramento | Sacramento | for-profit | 188 | $49,054 | $17,375 | not reported | $45,593 |
| Carrington College-San Jose | San Jose | for-profit | 38 | $49,054 | $17,375 | 60% | $41,194 |
| Pacific College | Costa Mesa | for-profit | 98 | $47,647 | not reported | not reported | $30,789 |
| Stanbridge University | Irvine | for-profit | 235 | $47,562 | $19,996 | not reported | $49,714 |
| Xavier College School of Nursing | Stockton | for-profit | 43 | $46,732 | $16,687 | 80% | $20,526 |
| California Career Institute | Anaheim | for-profit | 101 | $46,672 | $17,363 | not reported | not reported |
| Marian Health Careers Center-Los Angeles Campus | Los Angeles | for-profit | 90 | $46,591 | $10,897 | 67% | $35,806 |
| Marian Health Careers Center-Van Nuys Campus | Van Nuys | for-profit | 39 | $46,591 | $10,897 | 71% | $34,736 |
| Smith Chason College | Los Angeles | for-profit | 147 | $46,283 | $16,640 | not reported | not reported |
| Clovis Adult Education | Clovis | Public | 43 | $44,088 | not reported | 68% | not reported |
| American Career College-Ontario | Ontario | for-profit | 279 | $43,129 | $17,200 | 66% | $37,857 |
| Homestead Schools | Torrance | non-profit | 82 | $42,890 | $18,040 | not reported | $20,937 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit | 49 | $42,396 | $20,000 | 58% | $27,534 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia | for-profit | 25 | $42,396 | $20,000 | not reported | $33,136 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria | Santa Maria | for-profit | 19 | $42,396 | $20,000 | 63% | $29,900 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage | Rancho Mirage | for-profit | 12 | $42,396 | $20,000 | 70% | $32,789 |
| National Career College | Panorama City | for-profit | 55 | $41,412 | $17,947 | 75% | $34,495 |
| High Desert Medical College | Lancaster | for-profit | 182 | $41,286 | $17,567 | 68% | $34,844 |
| Career Development Institute Inc | Los Angeles | for-profit | 104 | $41,270 | $16,873 | 79% | $32,350 |
| American Career College-Los Angeles | Los Angeles | for-profit | 288 | $41,027 | $17,200 | 75% | $37,270 |
| American Career College-Anaheim | Anaheim | for-profit | 270 | $41,027 | $17,200 | 70% | $35,751 |
| North-West College-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit | 86 | $40,948 | $18,075 | 68% | $34,193 |
| Glendale Career College | Glendale | for-profit | 39 | $40,576 | $14,845 | not reported | $51,802 |
| Career Networks Institute | Santa Ana | for-profit | 35 | $39,826 | not reported | not reported | $52,552 |
| North-West College-Riverside | Riverside | for-profit | 67 | $39,321 | $18,482 | 72% | $36,572 |
| North-West College-Pomona | Pomona | for-profit | 64 | $39,321 | $18,482 | 71% | $35,112 |
| North-West College-Long Beach | Long Beach | for-profit | 48 | $39,321 | $18,482 | 58% | $36,942 |
| North-West College-Anaheim | Anaheim | for-profit | 13 | $39,321 | $18,482 | 60% | $31,922 |
| North-West College-Van Nuys | Van Nuys | for-profit | 42 | $37,803 | $15,487 | 60% | $36,507 |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | Public | 22 | $37,665 | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| California Nurses Educational Institute | Palm Springs | for-profit | 87 | $35,854 | $20,000 | 81% | $28,452 |
| College of the Desert | Palm Desert | Public | 6 | $35,428 | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Career Care Institute | Lancaster | for-profit | 182 | $34,797 | $17,246 | 71% | $55,157 |
| CES College | Burbank | non-profit | 43 | $33,825 | $16,810 | 56% | $38,165 |
| Beaumont Adult School | Beaumont | Public | 38 | $33,708 | $17,033 | 100% | $36,385 |
| University of Antelope Valley | Lancaster | for-profit | 40 | $33,100 | $16,323 | not reported | not reported |
| Charles A Jones Career and Education Center | Sacramento | Public | 26 | $32,369 | $9,496 | 65% | $21,579 |
| Healthcare Career College | Paramount | for-profit | 17 | $27,584 | $20,000 | 71% | $18,873 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education | La Puente | Public | 16 | $27,484 | not reported | 77% | $9,138 |
| Platt College-Los Angeles | Alhambra | for-profit | 16 | $24,173 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Riverside City College | Riverside | Public | 66 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| Citrus College | Glendora | Public | 64 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria | Public | 61 | not reported | not reported | 26% | not reported |
| Merced College | Merced | Public | 61 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | Public | 59 | not reported | not reported | 30% | not reported |
| Medical Allied Career Center | Santa Fe Springs | for-profit | 59 | not reported | $17,130 | 81% | $39,799 |
| Hartnell College | Salinas | Public | 58 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Butte College | Oroville | Public | 54 | not reported | $11,824 | 45% | not reported |
| Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara | Public | 51 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Southwestern College | Chula Vista | Public | 50 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Downey Adult School | Downey | Public | 48 | not reported | not reported | 31% | $18,545 |
| Angeles Institute | Artesia | for-profit | 42 | not reported | $17,783 | 47% | $31,664 |
| Madera Community College | Madera | Public | 41 | not reported | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Mission College | Santa Clara | Public | 41 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| College of the Redwoods | Eureka | Public | 35 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Sacramento City College | Sacramento | Public | 32 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Bakersfield College | Bakersfield | Public | 26 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Copper Mountain Community College | Joshua Tree | Public | 24 | not reported | not reported | 20% | not reported |
| Sri Sai Krish Institute | Orange | for-profit | 24 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cerro Coso Community College | Ridgecrest | Public | 23 | not reported | not reported | 25% | not reported |
| Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo | Public | 22 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| MiraCosta College | Oceanside | Public | 20 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Contra Costa Medical Career College | Antioch | for-profit | 19 | not reported | not reported | 100% | not reported |
| Antelope Valley Community College District | Lancaster | Public | 17 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Lassen Community College | Susanville | Public | 17 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Rio Hondo College | Whittier | Public | 15 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | Public | 14 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | Public | 13 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Napa Valley College | Napa | Public | 13 | not reported | not reported | 43% | not reported |
| Palo Verde College | Blythe | Public | 9 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Gavilan College | Gilroy | Public | 2 | not reported | not reported | 43% | not reported |
| College of the Siskiyous | Weed | Public | 1 | not reported | not reported | 33% | not reported |
| Feather River Community College District | Quincy | Public | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.