Current 2026 program
A public certificate route with four courses before entry
Bakersfield Adult School runs its Vocational Nurse program through the Bakersfield Health Careers Center. It is a public adult-education certificate, not an associate degree, and the state approved the program to continue in July 2025.
What makes this option different in Bakersfield
BAS requires students to finish Medical Math, Medical Terminology, Psychology, and Anatomy and Physiology before they apply. Applicants also need an active California CNA license. The one-year nursing portion is therefore not the entire path for someone starting without those courses or CNA training.
The program is listed as a certificate in the Kern Adult Education Consortium's training directory. It does not include the general-education courses that normally make up an associate degree. Students comparing California LVN programs should count the prerequisite semesters as well as the 12-month nursing class.
Before the nursing class
Build the application in the right order
BAS does not accept in-progress prerequisite courses. All four must be finished with a grade of C or higher by the application deadline, and each must fall within the five-year time limit for the program's start date.
Medical Terminology
Five BAS credits; offered in fall and spring.
Medical Math
Five BAS credits; currently offered in spring.
Psychology
Five BAS credits; currently offered in spring.
Anatomy & Physiology
Ten BAS credits; must include a lab and is offered in fall.
Entry requirements beyond the courses
- At least 18 years old
- High school diploma or GED
- Active California CNA license
- Clear background check, including DMV review
- American Heart Association CPR card
- Immunization records required by clinical sites
The current BAS application page also lists COVID-19 vaccination among the program requirements.
The two-step application
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Online
Submit the BAS form during the application window
The application window for the August 2026 class ran from December 15, 2025 through February 13, 2026.
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In person
Deliver the supporting documents
BAS asks for sealed high-school and prerequisite transcripts, one professional and one personal reference, California identification, a CNA-license copy, and a resume with a cover page.
BAS has not posted the next VN application dates. Its current application page directs interested students to the Health Careers mailing list for the next opening.
Full-time and in person
The calendar is compact, but the weekly hours can move
BAS's 2026 flyer gives a tentative August start and a 12-month length. It does not publish a fixed daily timetable. The school says days and hours vary with clinical rotations, and its program page notes that weekends may be included.
Not presented as an evening or part-time class.
Nursing training includes direct skills and clinical work; it is not an online-only program.
Clinical assignments can change the normal meeting pattern and may require weekends.
BAS does not list the facilities or travel range for the 2026 class on its public program page or flyer.
Nursing knowledge
The public overview mentions patient monitoring, assessments, vital signs, and basic nursing care.
Hands-on preparation
Students practice nursing skills before applying them during supervised clinical assignments.
Clinical experience
The school describes preparation for hospitals, medical offices, and long-term-care settings.
Price and award
What the $9,000 figure does and does not explain
The current BAS flyer calls $9,000 a nonrefundable program fee. The published material does not break that figure into tuition, registration, books, uniforms, equipment, screening, or other charges.
Published 2026 program fee
$9,000
- Listed for the full-time 12-month class
- Described by BAS as nonrefundable
- Marked as a figure that may change
Costs not itemized on the current flyer
BAS says it works with Employers' Training Resource and the Career Resource Department to help eligible students pay for tuition, books, supplies, and uniforms. It does not describe federal student-aid eligibility on the current LVN page.
Career-training certificate
The LVN listing identifies a certificate rather than a college degree. General-education courses are not shown as part of the 12-month nursing program.
Equivalent prerequisites may be accepted
BAS allows equivalent courses from an accredited college when they meet the grade, age, and lab requirements. Its public material does not promise advanced placement into the nursing sequence for prior nursing coursework.
Some BAS classes articulate to Bakersfield College
BAS says students earning C or better in its Medical Terminology or Nurse Assistant courses can receive articulated credit at Bakersfield College. That is course credit, not an associate degree from BAS.
Program price is only one part of the comparison. Local earnings, experience, setting, and schedule can all affect LVN pay after graduation.
At the Health Careers Center
Other BAS programs lead to different kinds of work
These are current programs shown by Bakersfield Adult School's Health Careers site. They should not be treated as shorter versions of vocational nursing; each prepares students for a different role.
Nurse Assistant
CNA preparation
Focuses on daily care, vital signs, mobility, and observation. An active CNA license is required before entering the VN program.
Medical Assistant
Career-training certificate
Prepares students for clinical and administrative work in medical offices. It does not lead to vocational-nurse status.
Neurodiagnostic Technologist
EEG-focused training
Covers recording brain and nerve activity and is aligned with ABRET certification preparation rather than bedside nursing.
Healthcare Support Occupations
Entry-level workforce training
Combines classroom preparation with supervised experience in local health settings for support roles.
Patient Care Provider
In-home support preparation
Covers personal care, mobility, safety, and daily-living help for older adults and people with disabilities.
Medical Front Office
Administrative preparation
Teaches scheduling, records, confidentiality, billing, coding, and basic medical-office procedures.
Compare the route, not only the length
Other vocational nursing programs in and around Bakersfield
BAS combines a public-school price with required CNA experience and four prerequisite courses. Other local schools use different admission steps, schedules, awards, and prices.
Public college
Bakersfield College
Requires college biology, psychology, math, English, and an active CNA certificate. It follows a college-semester route rather than a one-year adult-school class.
Bakersfield College details
Private college
Unitek College
Publishes a full-time day option of about 12 months and a part-time evening option of about 20 months at its Bakersfield campus.
Unitek details
Private career college
High Desert Medical College
Its vocational nursing diploma is listed at 61 weeks full-time or 84 weeks part-time, with a separate prerequisite course.
HDMC details
Private college
Carrington College
The Bakersfield campus lists a 15-month Vocational Nursing Associate Degree. That adds a degree structure and a higher published private-college cost.
Carrington details
Private college
North-West College
A newer Bakersfield vocational nursing option. State records show a 60-week, 1,530-hour curriculum and full-time classes.
North-West details
Regional public college
Cerro Coso Community College
The Kern River Valley location is in Lake Isabella, not Bakersfield. Cerro Coso offers both a vocational nursing certificate and associate-degree route.
Kern River Valley detailsBakersfield Health Careers Center
The nursing program uses the F Street center
2727 F StreetBakersfield, CA 93301 (661) 861‑1151 Official Health Careers site
Two BAS locations appear in the enrollment process
Health Careers lists 2727 F Street as its center and phone contact. The prerequisite page sends students to the main BAS campus at 501 South Mount Vernon Avenue for in-person course registration. Some prerequisite meetings are also listed at Stockdale High School or virtually, depending on the course.
- Health Careers Center
- Program information and nursing contact
- Main BAS campus
- Prerequisite registration and finance office
- Clinical sites
- Locations are not listed on the current public page
Program-specific questions
Bakersfield Adult School LVN FAQ
Does BAS award a degree for the LVN program?
No associate degree is listed. The Kern Adult Education Consortium identifies Bakersfield Adult School's Licensed Vocational Nurse program as a one-year certificate. BAS's current program material does not list general-education courses within the 12-month nursing class.
How long is the current BAS nursing program?
The November 2025 flyer for the class scheduled to begin in August 2026 says 12 months, full-time. An older BAS class description still says about 22 months, so the newer class-specific flyer is the more useful source for the current format. Prerequisite and CNA training can add time before entry.
Can I apply while finishing a prerequisite?
No. BAS says all four prerequisite courses must be complete when the application is submitted. Each requires a grade of C or higher and must have been completed within five years of the program start date.
Do the prerequisites have to be taken at BAS?
No. BAS says equivalent courses from an accredited college may be used. Anatomy and Physiology must include a laboratory, and official sealed transcripts are required with the application.
Is a CNA license required before applying?
Yes. Applicants must provide a copy of an active California CNA license. This is separate from completing the four academic prerequisites.
Is the BAS LVN program online?
No. Some BAS prerequisites may meet virtually, but the nursing program includes in-person skills and clinical training. BAS describes the 2026 class as full-time, with days and hours that vary according to clinical assignments.
What does the $9,000 program fee include?
The current flyer does not provide an itemized list. It labels $9,000 as a nonrefundable program fee but does not say whether books, uniforms, supplies, screening, health requirements, or other expenses are included.
When will BAS accept the next applications?
The window for the August 2026 class closed on February 13, 2026. BAS has not posted the next VN application dates on its current Health Careers page and directs interested students to its mailing list for future openings.