2025/2026 SJVC Vocational Nursing Program

Unitek College, with its seven locations across California, provides two LVN programs at its Bakersfield campus: a year-long full-time course, and an evening part-time course spread over 17 months.

Prospective students are not required to complete any prerequisite courses before commencing the program. However, they must attend a session on "career development and admissions interview" before enrolling.

Unitek College supports its students throughout their journey, offering assistance in job search during the course and following its completion.

The LVN program boasts multiple commencement times over the year, eliminating the need to wait for a new semester.

Besides, Unitek College features a fast-track 3-year BSN program. Similar to the LVN program, there are no prerequisite courses required. The program operates all year round, enabling students to accumulate 120 units for their degree. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the California nursing boards.

Amongst all the programs in Kern County, Bakersfield College's LVN program has the longest history. The program has been the starting point for numerous nurses in the area, with many graduates advancing to BC's LVN to RN program.

Applying to BC's vocational nursing program comes with its merits and demerits. On the upside, it's a highly esteemed degree, but on the downside, the acceptance process can be lengthy. Due to a higher number of qualified applicants compared to available slots, most applicants usually end up on the waiting list.

Before applying, the completion of four prerequisite courses is mandatory:

• BIOL B32 (Human Anatomy & Physiology I)
• BIOL B33 (Human Anatomy & Physiology II)
• General Psychology
• MATH B60 (College Algebra)

Applicants are also required to provide evidence of a high school diploma or GED.

High Desert Medical College, with its three campuses in Bakersfield, Lancaster, and Temecula, offers two distinct LVN programs. The first is a vocational nursing certification program that spans 56 weeks.

In addition to this, HDMC also provides a comprehensive 101-week Vocational Nursing Associate of Applied Science degree.

Both programs come with their unique benefits. The certification program is accelerated, concluding in just 56 weeks, while the Associate of Applied Science LVN degree program includes extra science and general education classes. These general education courses can be delivered in a hybrid, online setting.

High Desert Medical College's LVN program is fully accredited by both the Accrediting Council on Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) and the California Board of Vocational Nursing.

Besides the LVN program, HDMC offers a variety of other courses such as Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting, medical billing & coding, Ultrasound Technology, Phlebotomy, and Pharmacy Tech, among others.

The LVN program offered by Bakersfield Adult School merges supervised clinical practice with classroom instructions and hands-on lab exercises. Spanning a period of 22 months, the LVN program mandates that all applicants be a minimum of 18 years old and hold either a high school diploma or GED.

Prior to applying, BAS requires the completion of four prerequisites:

• Medical Terminology
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Psychology
• Medical Math

Many students who graduate from the Licensed Vocational Nurse program at BAS often proceed to undertake the LVN to RN 'bridge' program at Bakersfield College.

The strength of a program is often evaluated based on the passage rate for the PN-NCLEX, also referred to as the state boards exam. BAS classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020 have a 100% success rate in the PN-NCLEX. This underscores the high-quality nature of the Bakersfield Adult School's LVN program in California.

The total fee for Bakersfield Adult School's LVN program is $6,500 in addition to the NCLEX fee. This fee encompasses all necessary books, a laptop, uniforms, and other materials.

Situated on College Heights Blvd in Ridgecrest, Cerro Coso Community College (CCCC) offers a three-semester LVN program. Given the high number of qualified applicants and limited available seats, the institution maintains a waiting list.

Enrollment in the program necessitates the completion of four prerequisite courses:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Medical Terminology for Health
• Electronic Health Record (Mandatory from Fall 2023)
• General Psychology

The Kern River Valley campus in Lake Isabella, a branch of Cerro Coso Community College, hosts an LVN program that is sanctioned by the California Board of Vocational Nursing. This three-semester program encapsulates a total of 1660 hours of blended instruction and clinical rotations.

Application to the program mandates the completion of six prerequisite courses:

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