Core skills and body systems
The opening sequence includes the 40-hour Seminar for Success, Nursing Fundamentals, and Anatomy and Physiology. Fundamentals pairs classroom instruction with 248 hours of laboratory and clinical work.
The short version
A private diploma program with substantial clinical time
North-West College's Bakersfield Vocational Nurse program is a private, career-focused diploma program. The April 2026 campus catalog lists 1,692 clock hours, 64 weeks of study, and a blended format that combines in-person requirements with online course activity. It is not an online-only program: laboratory work and patient-care training must be completed in person.
Credential
Diploma
Length
64 weeks
Total instruction
1,692 hours
Clinical / lab
954 hours
What the diploma means
The program is measured in clock hours rather than college credits, and the current catalog assigns it zero semester credits. It does not add a general-education package or award an associate degree. That makes it different from Carrington's associate-degree route and from public college pathways that combine nursing courses with college-level prerequisites or general education.
When comparing California LVN programs, compare the award as well as the advertised length. A diploma can prepare a student for the same occupation, but its courses may not transfer like degree credit.
Program figures come from the 2026 North-West College Bakersfield catalog. North-West College's general Vocational Nursing webpage does not currently list Bakersfield among its campuses, but the newer Bakersfield catalog and the state nursing board both identify the program at this location.
How the hours are used
Nursing content begins with fundamentals and expands by patient group
The required courses move through a fixed sequence. Students start with medical terminology, mathematics, reading, CPR, anatomy, nursing fundamentals, and medication safety. Later courses cover adult medical and surgical care, mental health, maternal health, child health, and nursing leadership.
1,692
total clock hours
954 hours
laboratory and clinical courses
738 hours
theory and other required instruction
Medication and medical-surgical nursing
Pharmacology introduces dosage calculation and medication administration. Three later medical-surgical blocks address adult health conditions, with paired laboratory and clinical courses for hands-on care.
Mental, maternal, and child health
Separate courses cover mental health conditions, pregnancy and postpartum care, pediatric illness and injury, and care for patients at different stages of life.
Patient care beyond the campus lab
Clinical courses include direct patient care and medication administration. North-West College assigns the facilities and does not publish a current Bakersfield clinical-site list.
What is known about the schedule
The state nursing board approved a full-time Bakersfield class beginning in February 2026, and the catalog lists the program as 64 weeks. The catalog does not publish a Bakersfield-specific daily class schedule or promise a day or evening option. It also notes that clinical assignments are typically during the day, even when a program has evening classes, and students may need to travel to assigned facilities.
Getting into the program
Admission has a school-wide stage and a nursing interview
The current catalog does not list college prerequisites such as anatomy, microbiology, or a CNA certificate before entry. Those subjects are either built into North-West's sequence or are not listed as entrance requirements. Applicants do, however, have to meet the college's education, testing, interview, and enrollment requirements.
-
1
Document high-school completion
Vocational Nursing applicants need a high-school diploma or accepted equivalent. A GED, HiSET, TASC, California High School Proficiency certificate, or qualifying homeschool record can meet this requirement.
-
2
Complete the basic-skills assessment
North-West uses the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam during enrollment. The Bakersfield catalog says applicants must earn the minimum score for their program, but it does not publish the Vocational Nursing cutoff.
-
3
Attend the interviews and campus tour
The general process includes an admissions interview and campus tour. Vocational Nursing adds an interview with the campus or nursing program leadership.
-
4
Finish enrollment steps
Blended-program applicants complete an online-learning readiness questionnaire. Applicants also meet with financial aid, review the catalog and school disclosures, sign an enrollment agreement, and pay or arrange payment of the $100 registration fee.
Before patient-care assignments
Clinical placement has additional health and safety conditions
The catalog says students in some clinical programs may need a criminal background check, physical examination, and drug screening before placement. Its Vocational Nursing section separately notes that drug testing may be required in some placement situations and lists physical demands such as lifting up to 50 pounds, standing or moving for 6 to 12 hours, and safely seeing, hearing, and communicating during patient care.
2026 catalog price
$39,995 in total program charges
North-West College's April 2026 Bakersfield catalog gives one complete institutional price for the Vocational Nurse diploma. The listed pieces add correctly to $39,995.
This is the school's charge, not a student's full cost of attending for 64 weeks. Housing, food, transportation, routine school supplies, and some clinical preparation expenses are separate. Students comparing this amount with likely LVN pay should also account for loan interest and any income they may give up while attending a full-time program.
First academic year tuition
$21,375
Second academic year tuition
$17,820
Books and supplies
$700
Registration fee
$100
STRF assessment
$0
Total program charges
$39,995
Included in the $700 category
The catalog groups uniforms, textbooks, program supplies, and tutoring under books and supplies. It says most healthcare students receive two regulation uniforms.
Costs outside that total
Required shoes, ordinary school supplies, transportation to clinical sites, living costs, and any separate screening or health-document expenses are not itemized in the program total.
Prior learning and future study
Transfer rules matter more in a clock-hour diploma
Comparable nursing coursework may count
- Courses must come from an accredited school, match North-West's program, and have been completed within the previous five years.
- Work experience or prior training may be evaluated through written or practical challenge exams.
- Each written challenge exam costs $40. Requests, official transcripts, and course descriptions are due at least two weeks before the desired start date.
- Approved credit may reduce tuition and program length.
Another college decides what it will accept
North-West labels this as a zero-credit clock-hour program. Another school may decide that some or all of the training does not transfer toward a degree. A student planning to continue into registered nursing should compare the receiving school's LVN admission and credit rules before treating the diploma as college coursework.
Bakersfield campus
3000 Ming Avenue
North-West College3000 Ming Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93304 (661) 404-7575
The campus is near Highway 99 and across from Valley Plaza Mall. Its published office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday.
Official Bakersfield campus pageFacilities and student support
Vocational nursing lab
The catalog describes simulated hospital rooms, medication carts, mannequins, mobility equipment, vital-sign tools, wound-care supplies, and practice medication equipment.
Study and research
Students have study spaces, open computer labs with printers, a learning resource system, and 24-hour EBSCOhost access.
Advising and tutoring
Academic advising, attendance and progress support, tutoring, accessibility assistance, and community-resource referrals are listed as student services.
Career services
Students and graduates can receive résumé help, mock interviews, employment referrals, and interview assistance. Employment is not guaranteed.
Other healthcare study at this campus
Four additional Bakersfield programs are confirmed in the catalog
These are the healthcare programs, apart from Vocational Nursing, that the 2026 Bakersfield catalog specifically assigns to this campus. They prepare for different roles and should not be treated as alternate routes to the same nursing license.
Medical Assistant
Trains students for clinical and administrative support in medical offices and clinics. It is a shorter allied-health role, not a nursing program.
Medical Insurance Biller and Coder
Focuses on patient records, billing, insurance claims, and coding for office-based healthcare work rather than bedside care.
Surgical Technology
Prepares students to support the operating-room team, maintain the sterile field, and handle instruments during procedures.
Registered Nursing
A 96-week nursing degree with college credits and a broader RN scope. Its admission requirements are separate from the Vocational Nursing diploma.
One official-source difference: the current campus webpage also lists an RN-to-BSN bachelor's program, but the April 2026 Bakersfield catalog does not include it in the campus-specific program list. For that reason, it is not presented here as a confirmed Bakersfield offering.
Compare before enrolling
Other vocational nursing routes in and near Bakersfield
North-West's main distinction is a private, full-time diploma with no separately listed college prerequisites. Bakersfield also has public programs with lower published tuition but more entry coursework, and private programs with different awards or schedules. Cerro Coso is a regional Kern County choice in Lake Isabella, not a Bakersfield campus.
Public college
Bakersfield College
Requires college prerequisites and an active CNA certificate. Its public-college structure and award options differ from North-West's clock-hour diploma.
Bakersfield College programPublic adult education
Bakersfield Adult School
Offers a one-year route with prerequisite coursework and a CNA requirement. Its public-school pricing is a central comparison point.
Adult School programPrivate college
Unitek College
Offers a private program with both day and part-time evening formats, making schedule and total length important differences.
Unitek Bakersfield programPrivate career college
High Desert Medical College
Provides full-time and part-time formats. Compare the current calendar, institutional charges, and clinical travel with North-West's full-time class.
High Desert programPrivate college
Carrington College
Awards an associate degree rather than a diploma. The added degree coursework changes both the credential and the program comparison.
Carrington Bakersfield programRegional public college
Cerro Coso Community College
Offers certificate and associate-degree pathways through Kern River Valley in Lake Isabella. Entry includes college prerequisites and a current CNA certificate.
Kern River Valley programProgram-specific questions
North-West College Bakersfield FAQ
Does North-West College award a diploma or a degree for Vocational Nursing?
It awards a diploma. The 2026 Bakersfield catalog classifies the program as 1,692 clock hours and zero semester credits, so it is not an associate-degree program.
How long is the Bakersfield Vocational Nursing program?
The current catalog lists 64 weeks. A student's calendar can span more than 64 calendar weeks because holidays and breaks do not necessarily count as instructional weeks.
Is the North-West College program fully online?
No. The catalog calls the format residential and blended, which includes online academic activity, but the curriculum also has 954 hours of laboratory and clinical instruction that cannot be completed as an online-only course of study.
Are college prerequisites or CNA experience required?
The current Bakersfield catalog does not list separate college prerequisites or a CNA certificate as admission requirements. Applicants do need proof of high-school completion, the required entrance-test score, and the school and nursing interviews.
What does the $39,995 program charge include?
It includes $39,195 in tuition, $700 for books and supplies, and a $100 registration fee. The books-and-supplies category covers textbooks, uniforms, program supplies, and tutoring. Shoes, ordinary school supplies, transportation, living costs, and unspecified screening expenses are separate.
Does North-West College publish the clinical locations?
No current Bakersfield clinical-site list is published. The catalog says the school works with outside facilities, usually schedules clinical experiences during the day, and may require students to travel. Students must arrange reliable transportation.
Can previous nursing education shorten the program?
Possibly. Comparable courses from an accredited school must generally be no more than five years old. North-West may also evaluate prior experience through written or practical exams. Requests and supporting records are due at least two weeks before the desired start date.
Does the Bakersfield campus offer a day or evening schedule?
The latest state approval identifies a full-time class, but the school does not publish a current Bakersfield-specific daily schedule or clearly label the option as day or evening. The catalog also warns that clinical hours are typically scheduled during the day.