West Coast University

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Hello All,

I am thinking of starting WCU next year, but trying to knock off my pre reqs. I heard this school is extremely expensive and their passing rate is very low compared to other nursing programs. Is anyone going to the school and currently in the program?

Once I start the program, I am going to quit my job to focus on school but still worried about passing. :(

thanks alot

Are you a former WCU student? Im curious?

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WCU's passing score is 78.45% in LA. Which is far above a few schools who is below 70% and one at 50%. That is not the only thing that determine whether a school is reputable or good enough for a student to attend. From the students that were at the school when I went there. The staff treated them well and they enjoyed the school. Each student will be different. Students that are not doing good because they are not putting in their effort will talk bad about the school because they are not getting any slack and thought they could just breeze through.

WCU is not just a buy your degree school. You have to work just as hard to get your education there just like any student anywhere else. You may be paying more but You are not skating around getting a degree without work.

NO ONE SAID students work harder because they went to West Coast. I said no student should be penalized for their hard work to get their education just because they went to West Coast. Why must people bash the school so much and never attended?

No WCU is not CSU or UCLA, of course not but students have to work just as hard to graduate then those schools. UCLA is not USC, No college or university is the same. So its what the student can afford and what fits their life and whats best for them. It's their choice.

There are many students who graduate and have good careers. Just because one is not at your facility doesn't mean they do not exist.

Azusa Pacific is slightly less than 10% above West Coast in pass rate and they are also a good school and are for profit. I looked them as well and they are too far of a drive for me. But again, it is whats best for her. Is she close to the school, can she afford, do she want that type of program, it is what she wants.

I know people will bash WCU all day long on here and more never attended the school or personally visited it to see the real or didn't make it through as as student. It is all opinions of others and if a student believes that is what is best for them, then its their choice.

My opinion. Everyone has one.

The decision is the students to make, not ours. We decide for our own.

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Specializes in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

Why cherry pick the highest data? You neglected to include the lowest passing rate for one WCU nursing program, 50%. Another program is in the 60's, and another in the 70's. No matter what way you look at it, compared to other schools in California, WCU's NCLEX pass rate is below average when compared to the scores of other schools.

Sure you can blame the students for being lazy, but it's also possible that the quality of education there is lacking. If WCU's education is on par with UCLA, then why can't they attract all the superstar students, and achieve a 100% NCLEX pass rate?

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Specializes in Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.

I thought I'd take the time to say, that I am not bashing the school. I am reporting on the data available to me about the school. A school with an NCLEX pass rate in the 70's is not all that great. Not liking what I say does not make it any less true. Just because it does not have the absolute lowest score in the state, doesn't mean that WCU is suddenly ahead of the curve.

Students who attend schools like WCU fall into one of two categories. The serious student who works hard (but does not want the stress of competition, or fooled around too much during their early college years, getting poor grades, messing up their GPA), and students who want to essentially buy a nursing degree. I've met some of these people, and they have no business in nursing, much less college. They are undisciplined, careless, and immature, but they have money (or loans), so they go to WCU. Which type of student predominates at WCU, I have no idea.

Whether WCU is a school worth devoting all of one's time and especially all of one's money is a personal question. Obviously, nurses and those responsible for hiring have their opinions (which are based on experience working with WCU graduates, mind you), but "good" is a subjective concept. A student can attend WCU and say it was a good experience, and it is a valid opinion. However, that also implies a student can attend WCU, say it was the worst experience, and that is also a valid opinion. WCU is a young school, and will build its reputation over time, but thus far, the nursing community's reception of the school is tepid, at best.

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That is an ADN Program that is 50% and only 4 students took it. They are most likely previous student from another school year because they don't offer ADN.

It is not the BSN! I went to the LA Campus and they don't offer ADN. They only Offer BSN, LVN to BSN and Masters.

UCLA don't even have 100% pass rate. The only university with 100% offering higher than an ADN is CSU LA Masters program. All the other 100%s are from ADN Schools.

Plus that was only for 2012/2013. That previous ADN that was offered had scores of 76% to 87% when they had full classes.

BSN had an 86.15% the prior academic year. So what? This year alittle lower. Still Does not mean their students are not competent. Students have to study for that NCLEX on their own as well as get through their education. That score could mean anything. It is not always the school that the score is alittle lower.

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WOW. So instead of the bashing the school you bash the students and pretty much call them stupid and lazy without actually saying it???

I for one can get into a other nursing programs and I for one never fooled around in College. I have a Bachelor Degree already so this will be my second degree. I am a professional worker and I am definitely not a youngster. Stress is not an issue because my job is stressful so avoiding competition? Never!

WCU is not a degree that can be just bought. You are going to work and you are going to be stressed like every other student. It is alot of work.

I have seen the students at WCU and what you have said about them is far from what I saw when I looked in those classrooms and spoke to students in the open areas.

Anyway I am not going to be going back and forth about it.

I will wait to see what the students and graduates say that are on here.

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Why are people always saying, I don't want to wait around to get into a public school? I don't know a single college in the inland empire that still uses a wait list. I finished my prerequisites in winter 13 and started nursing school in fall 14. Everything is based on grades and entrance exam score. The fact is, if you have good grades and a good entrance exam score, you will get into a good and cheap public school. In my opinion, only people with a low GPAs consider a 100+k school. The quality of the students is lower at these overpriced schools and that is the reason why they have such a bad nclex pass rate.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.
Why are people always saying, I don't want to wait around to get into a public school? I don't know a single college in the inland empire that still uses a wait list. I finished my prerequisites in winter 13 and started nursing school in fall 14. Everything is based on grades and entrance exam score. The fact is, if you have good grades and a good entrance exam score, you will get into a good and cheap public school. In my opinion, only people with a low GPAs consider a 100+k school. The quality of the students is lower at these overpriced schools and that is the reason why they have such a bad nclex pass rate.

I have to disagree with this statement. I had a very high overall gpa 3.8 or something and my science gpa was 3.5. TEAS score was 95. I applied for 2 years to multiple schools. The lottery system did me no favors. That's great that people are having an easier time now. I was applying back in 2005/2006

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.
If you work hard for your degree and pass your NCLEX a you will succeed regardless of the school you attend.

If you want to know The Real, ask the actual students who have graduated and are working in their career and visit the school to see what they offer.

There area lot of schools with bad pass rates. WCU is above 75%. It's not horrible. There are a lot schools below 50%. If you get through the program which is very rigorous and intense to get through you will make it.

But ask those that have experience with the school, not hear say from other who have never attended or assume because they are for profit its a bad school. I have been finding that the negative comments come from folks who have never attended, they only go off of others words and they assume from what other people say,

I say investigate yourself and make the decision that is right for you.

I attended the information session and the students there were very active with their education and enjoyed the program. Seeing the experience they receive before even reaching clinicals helps them be more competent at working in their clinical settings. I did not see anything indicating this school was not educating their students for success.

The program is expensive but they are offering a lot and their program is used according to the NCLEX so when you graduate, you should have no problem passing because your learning your career field and practicing NCLEX throughout the whole program to the time you test. There are tv monitors all over the school with NCLEX questions displaying with choices for you to choose so you are constantly studying. Anyone who doesn't pass is not working hard and only trying to get through easy. You have to pass to moved on an passing is not easy.

All nurses and hiring companies have their own opinions desires on who they want to hire. If they choose not to hire a RN who worked hard at their education and passed their NLCEX and are ready to work that's their preference and I personally would sue a company who I find didn't hire me because I went to a particular school after all my hard work to get where I want to be. That's discrimination. No one should be letting it be known on a public site that they throw the application of students of certain schools to the back of the pile or chose not to hire them because of the school they went to. If the school was that bad, it would not be approved nor accredited.

My opinion.

Choose what's best for you not for others. It's your life, your education and your career.

Its not discrimination because its not a protected entity, such as race or gender.

I agree with you that It's also a fallacy to believe that every hospital won't hire someone from a private school. I completed my LVN at Concorde career college, my RN at Unitek and then completed my bachelors at a public university. I've worked at 2 excellently viewed hospitals within the state. Yes, my bachelors could have helped, but Hoag hired me before I obtained it.

However as I have 800/month payments on loans for 15 to 20 years I couldn't imagine trying to balance that loan load that comes with 150+k in this economy. Finishing fast may not be doing yourself a favor. I know many nurses who had to move out of state and make 20 to 25/hr at their first new grad job. 3250 a month before taxes is pretty much going to be eaten up by that loan payment. What if census is low? I got called off once to twice a week at one job. Yeah that's not the norm, but it happens.

Just really think hard before you make all those sacrifices and how stressful that loan payment is going to be. Very likely some of those loans will require payments before you even finish school. The average job in Southern California (if you can get one) starts around 30$/hr.

yeah that's great, but during your orientation you can't work overtime. If your young/single you might bring home around 3k a month. Don't be shocked at the taxes. So if you have a 1700/month loan payment. You literally have 1300/month to live on. So maybe if you live in a 1 bedroom apartment, eat top ramen and walk to work it might be okay, but I would have been homeless in a month because I have a family.

If I can prevent one person from going through the stress I had of trying to pay all my bills because of my crazy student loans (which were half the amount of west coast) I will be at peace. Obviously my opinion is purely financial, I can't speak as to the quality of education as I have not attend there.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
WCU's passing score is 78.45% in LA. Which is far above a few schools who is below 70% and one at 50%. That is not the only thing that determine whether a school is reputable or good enough for a student to attend. From the students that were at the school when I went there. The staff treated them well and they enjoyed the school. Each student will be different. Students that are not doing good because they are not putting in their effort will talk bad about the school because they are not getting any slack and thought they could just breeze through.

The decision is the students to make, not ours. We decide for our own.

NCLEX pass rates...It was the only thing I looked at when helping my daughter choose a school.

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WCU LA. ADN Pass rates NCLEX Board of Registered Nursing - NCLEX Pass Rates

2008/2009 Taken 282 passed 86.88%

2009/2010 Taken 292 passed 87.33%

2010/2011 Taken 228 passed 83.33%

2011/2012 Taken 75 passed 76%

2012/2013 Taken 4 passed 50%

The BSN program there which appears to be new is the one as of 2011 at 78.8% for 2012/2013 down from 86.15% the previous year.

I see a real pattern here...I would be cautious of a program with such consistent decreases on NCLEX pass rates

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm not taking out any loans for school. I also can't speak for anyone else's success after graduation for school, however I know a good number of graduates personally, who graduated, passed NCLEX first attempt.

Also, with California public nursing programs, my co worker has been trying to get into nursing school, with just about straight A's since 2011, it's now 2014!

My pre req's were done at national university, accelerated courses, so if anything much harder than a semester class.

I was put on waiting list for quite a few programs! With great grades! I'm just not waiting for years, just to receive a certificate. But that's just me.

Also, I'm speaking from my experience going to WCU as I say it's a great program. I'm speaking in terms of professors, the technology, the hands on environment.

When I speak of the retention and pass rates, I'm speaking for people who I personally know, they don't seem to have a problem passing NCLEX or repaying their loans. As I stated above "if your finances permit" and if you know that they do not, then it's not the best idea.

I'm not saying at all that WCU isn't extremely expensive, but that has nothing to do w/ the program in itself. Most people who I see bashing WCU are either those who started attending but got kicked out because they failed out (they're very strict w/ grades and attendance) or those who cannot afford it and are mad at those who can, and succeed. I don't see why you feel the need to come on here and be negative but best of luck to you kid!

It must be nice to be financially independent that you need no loans for school but for the average person....
[TABLE]

[TR]

[TD]Loan Balance: [/TD]

[TD] $130,000.00 [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Adjusted Loan Balance: [/TD]

[TD] $130,000.00 [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Loan Interest Rate: [/TD]

[TD] 6.80%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Loan Fees: [/TD]

[TD] 0.00%[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Loan Term: [/TD]

[TD] 10 years[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Minimum Payment: [/TD]

[TD] $0.00 [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=colspan: 2]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Monthly Loan Payment:[/TD]

[TD] $1,496.04 [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Number of Payments: [/TD]

[TD] 120[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=colspan: 2]

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Cumulative Payments: [/TD]

[TD] $179,525.54 [/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD] Total Interest Paid: [/TD]

[TD] $49,525.54 [/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Note: The monthly loan payment was calculated at 119 payments of $1,496.04 plus a final payment of $1,496.78.

It is estimated that you will need an annual salary of at least $179,524.80 to be able to afford to repay this loan. This estimate assumes that 10% of your gross monthly income will be devoted to repaying your student loans. This corresponds to a debt-to-income ratio of 0.7. If you use 15% of your gross monthly income to repay the loan, you will need an annual salary of only $119,683.20, but you may experience some financial difficulty.This corresponds to a debt-to-income ratio of 1.1.

I know of NO nursing position that starts at $180,000.00/year at the BSN bedside level. Couple that of an estimated unemployment rate of nurses in California of 47%. I see that as a problem
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The school is $130,000 for those coming in with no courses or degree and starting fresh. Not for those who already have a degree and their science course already done prior to enrolling.

Wow. So many discouraging folks in this site.

Your education is yours to choose. Do as you think is best for you. Thats all I shall say about it.

Best of luck to everyone in your educational goal in this great field.

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