What Nursing Schools Offer RN Programs in the SF Bay Area?

Learn about the four San Francisco Bay area schools with undergraduate nursing programs. Discover the specifics for each with regards to length and cost to make the right decision for your education.

What You Need to Know

You can become a registered nurse (RN) with an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing. Most programs will prepare you to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN).

Nursing Associate's Degrees in the San Francisco Bay Area

Chabot College

Located southeast of San Francisco in Hayward, Chabot College offers a program leading to an associate degree in nursing, as well as several program options for licensed vocational nurses who want to become RNs. While pursuing the general A.A. in Nursing, you take courses in clinical nutrition, nursing care planning, human development, adult health, physical assessment, and intravenous therapy. Upon graduation, you're prepared to sit for the NCLEX-RN. This program is very selective, with only 60 students being admitted each fall.

• Program Name: Associate in Arts (A.A.) in Nursing
• Program Length: 2 years (full-time)
• Tuition and Fees: $1,142 per year for in-state; $7,742 per year for out-of-state (2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: English, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology courses
• School Type: 2-year, public; approximately 13,800 students (all undergraduate)

City College of San Francisco (CCSF)

CCSF's Department of Registered Nursing, located on the school's Ocean campus, offers an associate degree in nursing that can be completed in about 2 years after general education requirements are fulfilled. While in the program, you study newborn care, surgical nursing, pharmacology, and nursing skill development. The program also offers a non-credit NCLEX-RN review course if you're preparing to take the exam for the first time.

• Program Name: Associate in Science in Nursing
• Program Length: 4 semesters (full-time) after prerequisites are met
• Tuition and Fees: $1,696 per year for in-state; $10,372 per year for out-of-state (2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: English, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and math courses
• Admission Requirements: ATI TEAS, CPR certification, immunizations, background check
• School Type: 2-year, public; approximately 27,000 students (all undergraduate)

Nursing Bachelor's Degrees in the San Francisco Bay Area

California State University - East Bay (CSUEB)

Located on the Hayward campus of CSUEB, the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences allows you to pursue a bachelor's degree in nursing with a pre-licensing option. This program is designed for students with no previous nursing experience or education, and the nursing curriculum is spread out over eight quarters of study. You take courses that cover mental health care, contemporary nursing, medical nutrition therapy, legal responsibilities, and nursing techniques for various age groups. To continue your education and increase employability, you can enroll in the school's RN residency program after graduation.

• Program Name: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Program Length: 2 years (full-time) after prerequisites are met
• Tuition and Fees: $6,983 per year for in-state; $18,863 per year for out-of-state (2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: 60 semester credits of college coursework, 9 courses in science, English, communications, and statistics
• School Type: 4-year, public; approximately 12,800 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students

San Francisco State University (SFSU)

SFSU is located on the western side of the city and offers numerous undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees through the College of Health and Social Sciences. At the school, you can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a pre-licensure option, or, if you have an RN license, you can earn an undergraduate degree in the advanced placement program for licensed nurses. In the pre-licensure program, you study pediatric and maternity nursing, pathophysiology, nursing research, and leadership theories. During the fifth semester of the program, you participate in a 3-credit capstone practicum. SFSU also offers two nursing graduate degree options if you wish to further your education.

• Program Name: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Program Length: 5 semesters (full-time) after prerequisites are met
• Tuition and Fees: $7,260 per year for in-state; $19,140 per year for out-of-state (2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: 28 units of science, English, and communication courses
• Admission Requirements: TEAS, background check, basic life support certification
• School Type: 4-year, public; approximately 26,500 undergraduate and 3,200 graduate students

SF Bay has several options for nursing programs at its schools, with City College of San Francisco and Chabot College's associate's degrees and San Francisco State University and California State University - East Bay's bachelor's degrees.