Bakersfield College LVN Program 2025

Check Out What's New In 2025!

Bakersfield College is by far the largest college in Kern County, serving over 31,000 students annually. BC is also one of 15 community colleges in California offering Baccalaureate Degrees. BC offers a number of nursing programs: There's a 3 semester, 45 unit vocational nursing program, an 8 week CNA program, a 2 semester LVN to RN program, and a 2 year Registered Nurse program.

There are many nurses in Bakersfield today who took the CNA program at Bakersfield College, then the LVN program at BC, then the LVN to RN program at BC, and then on to CSU Bakersfield's RN to BSN program.

What Other Healthcare Programs Does BC Offer?

BC also has educational tracks for becoming a radiologic technologist(commonly referred to as X-ray tech), physical therapy assistant, and health information technologist. Many of the prerequisites for the LVN program are the same that are needed for admittance to other healthcare programs.

The pay for healthcare providers has never been higher. With Covid still in sight, the demand for nurses has also never been higher. California LVNs now average $63,676 annually.

Other LVN Programs in Bakersfield

San Joaquin Valley College ➕

The LVN program at San Joaquin Valley College(SJVC) takes 15 months to complete. This is a full-time program with clinical rotations in Bakersfield-area nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and acute care facilities.

There are no prerequisites for SJVC's LVN program. However, prospective students must attend orientation sessions.

Other programs at SJVC-Bakersfield:

9 month medical assisting program
17 month medical sonography program
15 month surgical technologist program

San Joaquin Valley College

661-834-0126

201 New Stine Rd Bakersfield, CA 93309

sjvc.edu/program/vocational-nursing/

Unitek College ➕

Unitek College(UC) offers 2 LVN programs: a 12 month full-time day program, and a 17 month pert-time evening program. Graduates of both programs are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam.

Many schools, like Bakersfield Adult School and Bakersfield College, require prerequisite courses to be completed prior to applying. The programs at Unitek College don't require prerequisites.

UC's Bakersfield campus also offers a 3 year BSN program, and a 2 year LVN to BSN program.

Unitek College

888-912-8512

333 Palmer Dr Bakersfield, CA 93309

unitekcollege.edu/programs/vocational-nursing/

Bakersfield Adult School ➕

Bakersfield Adult School(BAS)'s LVN program is 22 months long. Their program has a 100% NCLEX pass rate. The LVN program is currently severely impacted, which means many students will either be placed on a waiting list, or will have to reapply each semester.

The total cost of their program is $6,500, which includes laptop, uniforms, books, and all associated costs.

There are 4 prerequisite courses which must be completed prior to application:

Medical Terminology
Medical Math
Psychology
Anatomy & Physiology

Other Programs at Bakersfield Adult School

computer certification program
22 week CNA certification program
20 week medical assisting program
1 semester part-time medical billing & coding program
business certification program

Bakersfield Adult School

661-861-1151

2727 F St, Bakersfield, CA 93301

bakersfieldhealthcareers.org/

Kern River Valley College➕

Cerro Coso Community College has a campus in Lake Isabella with a 3 semester LVN program. The Lake Isabella campus is called Kern River Valley(KRV).

In order to apply for KRV's LVN program, 6 prerequisites must be completed:

Computer Literacy
CNA certification
Medical Terminology
General Psychology
Human Physiology
Human Anatomy

KRV's LVN program is currently impacted, so not all applicants will be accepted. Students with higher GPA's in their prerequisite courses will have a greater chance of being accepted.

Kern River Valley College

760-384-6395

6504 Lake Isabella Blvd, Lake Isabella, CA 93240

cerrocoso.edu/krv

High Desert Medical College ➕

High Desert Medical College(HDMC)'s Bakersfield campus has a 56 week, full-time LVN program. Their other 2 campuses, in Temecula and Lancaster, also offer vocational nursing programs.

There are no prerequisites prior to enrolling in the program, but prospective students must take a Wonderlic nursing assessment test.

HDMC also offers certification programs in Phlebotomy, Pharmacy Technician, Medical Assisting, Medical Billing & Coding, Dental Assisting, Ultrasound Technology, and more.

High Desert Medical College

661-579-2901

2000 24th St Bakersfield, CA 93301

hdmc.edu/course/vocational-nursing/

Cerro Coso CC➕

Cerro Coso Community College(CCCC)'s main campus is located in Ridgecrest. Thier LVN program takes 18 months to complete.

The program at CCCC is impacted. This means that there are more qualified applicants than there are available seats. CCCC doesn't maintain a waiting list. Instead, applicants who are not accepted must reapply the following semester.

As of January 1st 2023, there are 4 prrequisite courses:

Medical Terminology for Health
Electronic Health Record (Required beginning Fall 2023)
General Psychology
Anatomy and Physiology

Cerro Coso Community College

760-384-6100

3000 College Heights Blvd, Ridgecrest, CA 93555

cerrocoso.edu/programs/vocational-nursing-certificate

Bakersfield College LVN Program Prerequisites

Essentials of Human Anatomy and Physiology(BIOL B18): This is a 4 unit life science course. Completion of both Human Anatomy & Physiology I(B32) and Human Anatomy & Physiology II(B33) is also accepted.

General Psychology(PSYC B1A): This is a 3 unit course, explaining psychological phenomena of cognitive, developmental, and sociocultural theories.

For the math prerequisite, any ONE of the following courses is accepted:

MATH B75
MATH B72
TECM B52
MATH B60
MATH B70

Students applying to BC's LVN program must also be eligible to take Expository Composition(ENGL B1A): In order to be eligible to take ENGL B1A, the student must receive a qualifying score on the college assessment test. Completion of either ENGL B50 or EMLS B50 is also accepted.

The student applying to the program must also be a Certified Nurse Assistant. A copy must be submitted when applying. All applicants must have either a high school diploma or GED.

What is the application procedure?

When applying to BC's LVN program, all prerequisites must be met. You can find the link to BC's online application HERE. After printing the online application, make sure ALL sections are completed. Bakersfield College rejects all incomplete applications, so don't leave anything blank! An official or unofficial college transcript which shows that all prerequisites have been completed.

What if I've taken courses at a different college?

If you've taken some or all of your prerequisites at a different college, you'll need to order an official copy of your transcripts from the other school(s). If you attended either Cerro Coso Community College or Porterville College, you won't need to submit transcripts for evaluation.

After your transcripts are submitted, the Admissions office at Bakersfield College will evaluate them to make sure they meet eligibility requirements. These are many of the same prerequisites needed to apply to other nursing programs in Bakersfield.

Getting Licensed as a Vocational Nurse

The Bakersfield College LVN program is accredited by the California Board of Vocational Nursing Psychiatric Technicians and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Upon completion of the program, students will be allowed to sit for the NCLEX/PN exam. The NCLEX is the exam students must pass in order to be licensed as a nurse in California.

The NCLEX/PN exam is 5 hours long, and many vocational nursing new grads take weeks or months studying for the Boards. The results are typically sent to the students in 6 weeks.

Are there any 100% online LVN programs?

There are no completely online LVN programs in California. Most programs in Bakersfield take a "hybrid" approach. This means that some prerequisite courses or classroom courses can be completed online.

However, every program must have clinical rotations. These rotations involve working hands-on in skilled nursing and/or hospital facilities. Hands-on experience is critical in nursing school, and a program cannot become accredited if there aren't in-person clinical rotations.

Program Costs & Financial Aid

The total cost of the LVN program is $7,286. That covers application fees, 3 semesters of tuition($2,020), books(total of $1,900), assessments & reviews($1,402), and physical and immunizations($440). The rest are costs for application fees, parking, health fees, etc.

What is a California College Promise Grant (CCPG)?

The California Community College Board of Governors allows for many California students to participate in a fee waiver program. The cost for attending Bakersfield College, or any other community college in California is $46 per unit.

So, the LVN program is 44 units. That means that the CCPG will cover the total $2,020 tuition. It can also be used to waive a portion of the student's parking fees.

The majority of LVN programs in California are through California's community college system, so no matter where you go in the state, you can apply. But it's ONLY through community colleges, not private ones.

Federal Pell Grants

Many other aid programs are also available to students. The Federal Pell Grant is money that doesn't have to be paid back. The maximum possible Pell award is $6,495 for the 2022-23 award year. The amount of the grant varies based on financial need.

Other Healthcare Programs At Bakersfield College

BC has many other healthcare career paths apart from nursing:

EMT Certification: This is a 16 week, 8 unit course.
CNA Program: BC has 2 options for students who need to get certified as a CNA. Most nursing programs and ALL community colleges in California require CNA certification for entry into a nursing program. BC's LVN program requires applicants to be CNA certified. There are several CNA programs in Bakersfield.
Radiologic Technology Program: This is a 24 month program that leads to an Associate in Science Degree. Once completed, students will be able to apply for licensure as a Certified Radiologic Technologist (CRT).