Nursing schools in Southern California provide nurse aspirants a wide array of choices in terms of career specialization and employment opportunities. Whether a nurse aspirant would like to work in a highly charged emergency room environment or the more relaxed one-on-one patient care situation as a private nurse, the kind of educational credentials he needs can be provided by any one of the nursing schools in Southern California. The best nursing schools in Southern California can prepare anyone who wishes to be a nurse for the mental, physical, and emotional demands of being a nurse in any kind of environment. The education provided by nursing schools in Southern California also gives adequate preparation for aspiring nurses to pass their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) requirement. After passing the NCLEX nursing board passers can pursue higher education and specialization courses to enable them to qualify for positions in medical facilities and academic institutions.

Some nursing schools in Southern California have consistently been ranked among the country’s top100 nursing programs. Two of these high-ranked nursing schools are the University of California, Los Angeles School of Nursing and the University of San Diego School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Ranked among the top 15 nursing schools in the country, UCLA School of Nursing offers programs that confer a Bachelor’s degree in nursing, a Master’s degree in nursing, and a Doctorate degree in clinical nursing research and philosophy. Other courses leading to certifications and specializations are also offered at the UCLA School of Nursing for those who wish to practice as licensed nurse practitioners, family nurse practitioners, and oncology nurse practitioners. The two-year master’s degree program is best for registered nurses who are working toward more advanced nursing careers while the doctorate program is best for those who are more interested in the scholarly facet of the field of nursing. On the other hand, the University of San Diego School of Nursing and Health Science, which is one of the nursing schools in Southern California ranked among the top 50 nursing schools in the country, provides courses for four degrees including a bachelors degree, a master’s degree, a Ph. D. degree, and a doctor of nursing practice degree. Although this nursing school is a Roman Catholic based school, students of various religious affiliations are also welcome to pursue their nursing education in this school.