A practical guide to BC’s Vocational Nursing certificate, CNA requirement, waitlist, curriculum, costs and results—plus detailed nursing progression options and other LVN programs serving the Bakersfield area.
BC offers a 160-hour Nurse Assistant Training Program that can lead toward the active California CNA certification currently required for its Vocational Nursing application.
BC’s Vocational Nursing certificate is a public-college route built around classroom instruction, laboratory practice, and extensive clinical training. The nursing sequence is three semesters, but the complete path also includes prerequisite coursework, active California CNA certification, the annual application process, and possible waitlist time.
The 44-unit curriculum prepares students for entry-level vocational nursing practice and the NCLEX-PN. Courses cover nursing foundations, pharmacology, medical-surgical care, maternal-child nursing, leadership, and clinical decision-making. Of the 1,548 published instructional hours, 972 are clinical or laboratory hours.
160 hours and preparation for California CNA certification.
Three-semester certificate leading toward NCLEX-PN eligibility.
Associate-degree or advanced-placement routes with separate admission rules.
The arrows show a possible progression, not automatic admission. Each program has its own prerequisites and selection process.
The current VN application page does not list TEAS as an admission requirement. Eligibility is based on the required coursework, active CNA certification, education records, and a complete application.
BIOL B18, or both BIOL B32 and BIOL B33
PSYC B1A General Psychology
MATH B27, TECM B40, or an accepted higher-level course or placement
ENGL B1A; previously completed ENGL B50 is accepted
Active California Nurse Assistant certificate
High school diploma, GED, CHSPE, or another accepted equivalent
Recommended: MEDS B37 Medical Terminology is useful preparation but is not listed as a required VN prerequisite.
Applicants with all requirements completed when applying receive priority.
BC anticipates the next revised cohort in Fall 2027, with applications expected in February 2027, subject to curriculum approval.
If qualified applicants exceed the available seats, initial waitlist order is determined through a random drawing.
Waitlisted applicants must submit an updated application and proof of current CNA certification annually.
the current waitlist size, average wait, or the waitlist number presently receiving offers.
BC says outside transcript evaluations can take 12–24 weeks and must be finished before the application deadline. This is one of the earliest steps to address if any prerequisite was taken elsewhere.
The published sequence becomes more advanced each semester. Clinical and laboratory hours make up nearly two-thirds of the program’s instructional time.
Principles of Pharmacology, Basic Medical-Surgical Nursing, and Foundations for Vocational Nursing Practice with laboratory instruction.
Intermediate Medical-Surgical Nursing theory and laboratory courses build on assessment, medication, and patient-care skills.
Leadership, maternal-child pharmacology and nursing, plus advanced medical-surgical theory and laboratory work.
The estimate combines resident enrollment fees, books, review materials, uniforms, clinical supplies, health requirements, screening, BLS, licensing, NCLEX, fingerprinting, and graduation expenses.
*Placement is calculated among graduates who passed the licensing examination and applied for work.
Program price is only one part of the financial decision. Prerequisite courses, CNA certification, transportation, time on a waiting list, and reduced work hours during clinical training can all affect the total cost. Reviewing current LVN salary information can help put those expenses and the expected return on training into context.
These programs connect logically, but they are not one automatic ladder. Select a route to see its training, admission details, and relationship to Vocational Nursing.
The Nurse Assistant Training Program uses MEDS B69, a 5.5-unit course, to prepare students for the California Nurse Assistant Competency Exam. It is especially relevant here because active California CNA certification is currently required for the VN application.
VN students complete 44 nursing units and 1,548 instructional hours before becoming eligible to pursue LVN licensure through the NCLEX-PN. CNA experience provides a basic-care foundation, but VN coursework adds medication administration, nursing assessment, medical-surgical care, maternal-child nursing, and leadership.
The degree route is designed for licensed vocational nurses who want to build on prior nursing education and become eligible for the NCLEX-RN. BC currently says it is not accepting new applications to the dedicated LVN-to-RN program and directs eligible applicants to consider RN Advanced Placement.
The Advanced Placement/Transfer option awards nursing credit for qualifying prior learning or experience and places accepted students into the RN program at the level BC determines appropriate. It also serves transfer students, military healthcare personnel, and other eligible healthcare professionals.
Bakersfield-area LVN programs differ considerably in their prerequisites, schedules, admission timelines, tuition structures, and clinical requirements. Instead of reducing each school to one comparison row, the tabs explain why a student might compare that program with Bakersfield College.
Unitek publishes two schedules: a full-time day program that may be completed in as little as 12 months and a part-time evening path that may be completed in as few as 20 months. Training includes campus instruction, skills labs, simulation, clinical rotations, and integrated NCLEX-PN preparation.
The main distinction is timing and schedule. Unitek publishes multiple pacing options, while BC’s public-college route requires prerequisites, CNA certification, and waitlist planning.
Unitek requires a high school diploma or equivalent and its own VN prerequisite course completed within 12 months of the start date. A background check occurs during that prerequisite course.
The Bakersfield page does not publish one total price. Tuition varies by campus and schedule, so applicants need a written estimate covering tuition, fees, supplies, testing, and financing.
Carrington offers a Vocational Nursing Associate Degree at its Bakersfield campus that may be completed in as few as 15 months. The program combines nursing coursework with hands-on training as students prepare for vocational nursing practice and the NCLEX-PN.
Carrington provides a private-college route with a defined program schedule, while the complete BC path can also involve prerequisites, active CNA certification, an annual application cycle, and possible waitlist time.
Carrington publishes a completion time of as few as 15 months for the Bakersfield Vocational Nursing Associate Degree. Actual completion time can depend on successful progression through the required coursework and clinical training.
Students should compare current start dates, admission requirements, weekly scheduling, clinical commitments, and total program cost when deciding how Carrington fits against BC’s public-college route.
North-West College lists its Bakersfield Vocational Nurse program at 64 weeks and 1,692 clock hours. The curriculum combines classroom, laboratory, and clinical instruction covering nursing fundamentals, pharmacology, medical-surgical nursing, mental health, maternity, pediatrics, and leadership.
North-West offers a defined 64-week vocational nursing curriculum in Bakersfield, while BC’s three-semester nursing sequence is only one part of a route that can also include prerequisites, CNA certification, application timing, and waitlist time.
The 1,692-hour program incorporates classroom instruction, laboratory practice, and hands-on clinical training throughout the nursing curriculum rather than separating clinical preparation from the academic program.
Applicants should compare the current class schedule, admission process, tuition, clinical locations, and program start dates with the time and cost involved in completing BC’s requirements.
HDMC publishes a 61-week full-time route and an 84-week part-time route, with daytime and evening scheduling. Its 1,530-hour program includes 850 classroom hours and a 680-hour externship.
HDMC may offer a more immediate or flexible start than BC’s waitlist-based route. The tradeoff is private-school pricing and a substantially lower latest first-time NCLEX-PN result.
The school publishes theory ratios of 1:30 and clinical ratios of 1:15. It also states that IV Therapy and Blood Withdrawal training, the NCLEX fee, and the BVNPT application fee are included in tuition.
Confirm the current prerequisite course, entrance testing, cohort schedule, complete tuition, externship scheduling, and how remediation is handled before enrolling.
BAS offers vocational nursing through its Health Careers Center. Its public materials emphasize professional training, certification, and job experience at a lower cost than many private career-school programs, but the current site does not clearly publish a complete schedule, cohort date, or total program price.
Both are public-school options and may be cost-conscious choices. BAS may use a different calendar and admission process, so it is worth checking even when BC’s waitlist is the original plan.
Ask for the next cohort date, weekly classroom and clinical schedule, current prerequisites, entrance assessment, tuition and supply costs, and whether a new application cycle is open.
There were no first-time testers reported in 2025. The 100% shown for 2024 represents only 11 testers, so it should not be treated as a large-cohort trend.
Cerro Coso currently lists its Vocational Nursing degree and certificate at the Ridgecrest/Indian Wells Valley campus. The Kern River Valley office in Lake Isabella primarily describes student support for online courses, so readers should verify the actual teaching location and active cohort before planning travel or prerequisites.
It is another community-college nursing route in Kern County. It may appeal to readers willing to travel beyond Bakersfield or who live closer to Ridgecrest, Lake Isabella, or eastern Kern communities.
Do not assume the nursing curriculum is delivered at the Lake Isabella KRV office. Confirm where theory, laboratory, and clinical instruction will occur for the next cohort.
Ask about current program activity, application dates, prerequisites, cohort size, clinical locations, total cost, and which state pass-rate row applies to current graduates.
Where shown, NCLEX-PN figures are California BVNPT calendar-year results for first-time testers. They may include graduates from prior cohorts, and small tester groups can produce large percentage swings. School pages and program details should be reconfirmed before enrollment.
State pass-rate reportNCLEX-PN figures are California BVNPT calendar-year results for first-time testers. They may include graduates from prior cohorts, and small tester groups can produce large percentage swings. School pages and program details should be reconfirmed before enrollment.
State pass-rate reportThese are different occupations—not backup versions of Vocational Nursing. Open a program to compare the credential, work, format, admission reality, and why an LVN reader might consider it.
The prelicensure RN program prepares students for broader nursing assessment, care planning, medication, coordination, and leadership responsibilities and for NCLEX-RN eligibility after graduation.
RN education carries separate science and general-education requirements, uses a competitive admission process, and leads to a different license and scope of practice. Current BC RN materials list ATI TEAS and multi-criteria selection requirements.
Someone who has not yet entered either program may decide to complete the additional RN prerequisites rather than first pursuing an LVN license. Current LVNs should compare the dedicated LVN-to-RN and Advanced Placement routes.
The two-year program combines classroom and clinical education in patient positioning, imaging procedures, radiation protection, anatomy, and image quality. Graduates may pursue ARRT certification and California radiologic licensure.
BC reports a waitlist of more than 160 students and says new applications remain closed until the list is exhausted. Twenty-four students are admitted annually from the existing list.
This is still direct patient contact, but the work centers on diagnostic imaging and equipment rather than ongoing bedside nursing care.
Respiratory therapy focuses on airway management, oxygen delivery, ventilator support, cardiopulmonary assessment, and treatment for patients with breathing disorders.
The program combines technical coursework, laboratory practice, and clinical experience with healthcare teams. Admission, science prerequisites, clinical clearance, and licensure preparation are separate from the nursing programs.
It offers intensive clinical patient care with a narrower cardiopulmonary specialty and more emphasis on respiratory equipment and emergency airway support.
PTAs work under physical therapists to guide therapeutic exercise, mobility training, and physical treatments that help patients recover function after injury or illness.
BC describes four full-time semesters after prerequisites, primarily scheduled during the day, with clinical education in hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, outpatient clinics, and skilled nursing facilities.
Published prerequisites include BIOL B32, BIOL B33, and PHTA B50, with a minimum college GPA. Students should also account for travel to assigned clinical sites.
HIT centers on medical records, coding systems, health data, reimbursement, privacy, compliance, and information management rather than direct patient care.
BC describes a two-year, four-semester program delivered completely online. The program does not require a separate application and permits fall or spring entry.
It may fit someone drawn to healthcare documentation, coding, data quality, and privacy who does not want clinical shifts or hands-on bedside work.
Medical assistants support outpatient practices through vital signs, patient preparation, basic clinical procedures, records, scheduling, and administrative workflow.
Medical assisting is not vocational nursing and does not lead to an LVN license. The job is usually organized around clinics and physician offices rather than the broader licensed-nursing role.
It may provide a shorter, clinic-focused entry route for someone who prefers predictable outpatient workflow and a mix of clinical and administrative tasks.
Phlebotomy training focuses on safe blood collection, patient identification, infection control, specimen handling, and preparation for work in laboratories, clinics, hospitals, and blood-donation settings.
The occupational scope is narrower and training is shorter. It does not include the broader medication, assessment, and ongoing patient-care responsibilities taught in VN education.
It can offer quicker entry into healthcare or an additional technical skill, but it should not be presented as a direct substitute for nursing licensure.
Public Health options cover community education, health navigation, population health, prevention, outreach, policy, and public-health informatics.
The focus is on communities and populations rather than licensed bedside nursing care for individual patients. BC offers several award levels rather than one clinical licensure sequence.
It may fit someone interested in prevention, outreach, navigation, data, or community programs—or complement later clinical experience with a population-health perspective.
The nursing sequence is three semesters. The complete route is longer when you include CNA certification, prerequisite courses, the February application cycle, and any waitlist time.
TEAS is not listed on the current regular VN application page. Do not confuse the VN requirements with BC’s RN and LVN-to-RN materials, where ATI TEAS appears in the admission or conditional-acceptance process.
The Nurse Assistant Training Program prepares students for the California competency examination. The VN requirement is an active California CNA certificate, so completing MEDS B69 alone is not the final step; the student must also pass the state examination and obtain active certification.
Not automatically. BC’s dedicated LVN-to-RN intake is currently on hold. Eligible LVNs can review the RN Advanced Placement option, which requires separate prerequisites, documentation, screening, and selection.
Its published program estimate is considerably more transparent than several private-school pages, but the total decision should also include prerequisite costs, CNA training, transportation, time waiting, schedule compatibility, and income lost while attending clinicals.
If you want to explore LVN programs beyond Bakersfield, use the search tool below to find approved options in other California cities or nearby regions.
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