Best undergrad programs- CA

RunBabyRN · Apr 24, 2014

The CSUs offer BSNs as well, and will be a little less expensive than UC. There will also be fewer requirements for graduation. The CSUs, in general, have very good reputations with their nursing programs. You will learn as you get more acquainted with nursing that your alma mater doesn't matter nearly as much as it does in, say, law or business. It's more about your performance in school and clinicals, and about the connections you have and/or make along the way. My job offer (the first in my class) came from a nurse manager who saw me in clinicals and liked my performance.

Save yourself some money by getting your general ed and prereqs done at a community college, then transfer to a CSU's BSN program. That would be my recommendation.

efda2rn · Apr 24, 2014

RunBabyRun is right on the money here! Do well in you prereqs at a local community college and that will set you up very nicely to transfer into a BSN program at one of the many Cal State schools. If you are interested in looking a little further north, Oregon Health and Sciences University has a highly respected nursing program and have 5 campuses all over Oregon . Good luck in your senior year! It's good to be looking toward the future, but don't forget to have a little fun :)

Smwright19 · Apr 24, 2014

Thanks for the prompt reply! My fear is that I will be stuck at a community college because for whatever reason I won't be able to transfer to a BSN program, thus losing valuable work experience. There's not much you can do with just an associates' anymore, I've heard.

Do you know any specific CSUs that stand out?

Smwright19 · Apr 24, 2014

*My previous reply was directed at RunBabyRun

@efda2rn thanks! but I'm still worried about not being able to transfer to a four-year, which will put me behind my peers who will have gone straight to a four-year.

And just to clarify, I would get my ASN at a cc then enter an RN to BSN program at a university?

Also, I like your profile picture :)

efda2rn · Apr 24, 2014

As far as I know, there are very few nursing programs in the US that are direct-entry as a freshman. What RunBabyRun and I were both saying is that you will likely be spending your first 2 years in college completing prerequisite courses. These are some general education and science courses that are required before you can even apply to 99% of all nursing programs. Why go to the considerable expense of taking these classes at a university when you can take them for a fraction of the cost at a community college? Once these classes are complete, you then start the process of applying for nursing schools. You then can transfer into a university BSN program, but considerably less in debt. Some universities may offer an advantage to applicants who have taken their prerequisite courses from them, but the advantage is usually slight. What I'm saying is that if you go to a university directly from high school, you will very likely still be required to reapply to their nursing program, so there really isn't an advantage to going this route.

SquishyRN, BSN, RN · Apr 24, 2014

What I'm saying is that if you go to a university directly from high school, you will very likely still be required to reapply to their nursing program, so there really isn't an advantage to going this route.

THIS.

And, you will have a better chance getting into the best schools if you have the best grades. Getting straight As in your pre-reqs will be a lot easier at the CC level.

RunBabyRN · Apr 24, 2014

Thanks for the prompt reply! My fear is that I will be stuck at a community college because for whatever reason I won't be able to transfer to a BSN program, thus losing valuable work experience. There's not much you can do with just an associates' anymore, I've heard.
Do you know any specific CSUs that stand out?

No CSU I know of looks down on people whose prereqs were completed at a CC. As long as your courses transfer (and the college will have good info on that), you're fine. The CSUs I know of also do not offer preference for native students (students who have done prior courses there), but some do for those who have completed courses in local colleges, including their own. So, for example, I completed my prereqs at the local community college, and those of us who did received extra points toward our applications. You won't get "stuck" at a community college unless you decide not to apply to a university. That said, you CAN get your ADN at a community college, then do a bridge program while working as an RN. Some hospitals won't hire ADN-prepared nurses anymore, but you can still get hired in non-acute settings, such as long term care and home health.

I haven't really heard much about one CSU versus another, but some have large classes, some small, and they do vary in length and in what they require, so it's good to do your homework and stay on top of it. Things do change from one year to the next.

Tink Nurse to Be · Apr 25, 2014

I agree with the previous posts save your money and do the CC get all A's in your general ed classes and then transfer, I am in So Cal also and have been attending a local CC then I pan to transfer in Fall 2015 to Long Beach State they have a wonderful basic program where you can attain your BSN from just having an AS or acquire your AS to BSN at their school. There is also many private university's like National, West Coast, and many more. But Long Beach is a great and beautiful Breathtaking school, I hope to go there soon. Good Luck;)

algebra_demystified · Apr 25, 2014

Definitely go the community college route first. You can take your prereqs at a uni, but you'll pay 20x the tuition. I believe that figure is fairly close to the truth, twenty times as much money. It's a lot of money. Do your prereqs at a CC, and then apply to BSN programs.

Another avenue I would consider, if I was getting started again today, is I would think about PA school. I would also think about getting my MD. I think it's a great idea to pick up your nine-week CNA or EMT cert and work in that capacity during prereqs, and then apply to a program that allows you to sit for your LPN after the first year. Then, work as an LPN while you study for your RN. I am not aware of any BSN programs that allow you to sit for your NCLEX after the first two years, so consider doing a CC RN program, and then applying to schools for your BSN or your direct-to-Masters program.

Part of the value of working as an entry-level medical provider is that you learn the scope of practice of those other disciplines. You learn what they should be doing, and you can consider the performance of your teammates later on.

Stay away from LA Trade Tech, that place is a zoo. I went to Glendale and loved it. Pasadena is supposed to be good. LA County is supposed to be good. Stay away from Phoenix, that place is a swamp. Aye yi yi. There are many respectable online universities that offer a great program.

RunBabyRN · Apr 25, 2014

FYI, Sonoma State, Long Beach, and a few other CSU BSN programs have moved to 2 years, so it won't take any longer than an associates, aside from a couple of added prereqs and general ed courses. Do some research. By the time you are applying, I would imagine many CSUs will have moved to this model, and private universities, at this point, have no interest in doing so, since the third year is another year of tuition they can collect. Some of the CSUs that are doing this require a CNA certification prior to entry, so keep that in mind.