Best RN-BSN programs in SoCal?

You should look into Cal State Fullerton. They have an ADN to BSN bridge program and it would be a better commute than trying to drive to UCLA.

Biased answer? NO. I advice to do a good research and figure out what your expectations are of a nursing school and its instructors. However, CSULA is the best graduate nursing school in the west or the nation. Or some thing like that. I am a student at CSULA and the only complaints I have heard of their program is that the ELM students are not granted financial aid. Also, the RN to BSN students love it because it is flexible and there is not competition to get in they take all RN applicatns year round.

What's an ELM Student?

ELM means entry level masters. People who already have a 4 year degree, and who have taken all the nursing prereqs enroll at a graduate level, pick up their RN and their masters in nursing too usually in 2-3 years.

I started CSU Fullerton the semester after I graduated and it was the best new grad program I could have chosen. All my instructors are professionals with years of experience who have at least a MSN, many are Phd's. The distance program is one day a week in class and the rest online. We are in the same classess online as in class and can talk about the online stuff before or after class. Everyone helps each other and the instructors are mostly just plain supportive. It is still challenging but the small classes 20-25 and on site facilitators (who are often alumni) help you make it through.
Contact Aimee Nelson.
PS If you need to finish some transfer courses sometimes you can start and they give you a year to get them done.

ELM students also have a watered down program.

Consider Sac State. The living cost is much less than southern Cali.

I really wish you would stop spreading that absolutely FALSE rumor. For one thing, as far as I understand you can't speak to any other school's program, and for another, it is simply not true at Sac State.

Cal State Univ Northridge has a great RN - BSN program