Warning to Prospective Nursing Students: Chabot College Has an Alarmingly High Attrition Rate

[donotgotochabot]

Hey future nurses — if you're considering applying to the Chabot College Nursing Program in Hayward, CA, please read this first.

As someone with firsthand knowledge of the program, I want to shed light on an issue that isn't being made transparent to incoming students: Chabot has one of the highest attrition (dropout) rates in California.

Here's the actual data:

Yes, half of the students in some years are not making it to graduation.

Why This Is Not Normal:

According to the California Board of Registered Nursing's (BRN) 2022–2023 Annual Report:

The average attrition rate for ADN programs statewide is only ~9.6%

Most students in California nursing programs complete their degree on time, with a statewide average of 85.4%

Even LVN-to-RN bridge programs have only ~3% attrition

So when you see Chabot reporting 30–50% attrition, that's three to five times higher than the state average. That's not okay — and certainly not the standard of a healthy, student-centered nursing program.

Why Should You Care?

You could spend 2+ years working hard, taking out loans, and rearranging your life... only to be dismissed or fail out, often due to inconsistent instruction, unclear expectations, or lack of faculty support — not your ability to be a nurse.

Programs with high attrition rates often fail to identify struggling students early or don't have adequate remediation support.

NCLEX pass rates at Chabot remain high — but that only applies to those who survive the program. You deserve transparency about your chances of graduating.

What You Can Do

Ask about the program's completion rate during info sessions. They are required to share it.

Look up the BRN's data yourself (RN.ca.gov)

Speak with current or former students and ask how many people from their cohort made it to the end.

If you're already accepted — go in with eyes wide open, and build a strong academic support system from Day 1.

This post isn't to bash Chabot, but to warn others and advocate for transparency in nursing education. Every student deserves a fair chance to succeed — and you deserve to know what you're walking into.

Feel free to share your own experience or ask questions below. Nurses look out for each other.