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According to California's Employment Development Department, the average salary for RNs in California was $120,813 annually. RNs in Kern County averaged $98,927 annually in 2022
As demand for nurses skyrockets across the country, more and more students are struggling to find programs with available seats.
As of the 2024/2025 academic year, there are four schools in Bakersfield that are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing to offer accredited Registered Nurse programs:
All four schools offer multiple pathways to earn a nursing degree.
At Bakersfield Community College, the RN program no longer has a waiting list. Students who aren't accepted must reapply the next semester. There are 4 prerequisite courses(16 units total) which must be completed before applying:
Applicants must also take an assessment test, called the ATI TEAS exam. The TEAS exam tests the preparedness for health science courses.
The biggest change to BC's nursing program admissions process is the addition of the Multi-Criteria Point Allocation. The point allocation system takes into account not just when the person applied or what their GPA is. It also awards points for:
Points are also awarded to students who have applied multiple times to the RN program.
2022 NCLEX Pass Rate: 96%
North-West College Bakersfield is located on Ming Avenue, right across the street from the Valley Plaza Mall. N-W College has 2 registered nursing programs. The ADN program is 24 months long, and graduates are eligible to sit for California's RN Boards. The other program is a 24 month RN to BSN program. Both programs are approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).
North-West College is currently accepting applicants for both programs.
Prerequisites for the 24 month ADN program:
2022 NCLEX Pass Rate: 91%
The BSN program at Cal State Bakersfield is 1 year of prerequisites and 3 years of nursing school. Graduates will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX. CSU Bakersfield describes the application process as "impacted", meaning there are more people applying than there are seats available.
There are 8 prerequisite courses which must be completed before the start of the program:
Students preparing to enroll in CSU Bakersfield's nursing program must also have a TEAS Score of at least 72%.
A minimum of a 3.20 GPA is required in the 8 prerequisites.
2022 NCLEX Pass Rate: 98%
Unitek College's Bakersfield campus offers a 3 year Bachelor of Science in Nursing(BSN) degree program. Graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). Nurses must pass the NCLEX before being licensed in California.
The full 3 year program is designed for students with no nursing experience. Unitek also offers advanced placement for current RNs and LVNs. The LVN to BSN program can be competed in 2 years, while the RN to BSN can be completed in 1 year. The RN to BSN program is taught using a "hybrid online" platform.
Many nursing programs have prerequisites such as Anatomy & Physiology, Math, English, and Microbiology. The BSN program at Unitek has courses that cover these topics.
Admission requirements for BSN applicants:
2022 NCLEX Pass Rate: 90%
Out of the four RN/BSN/LVN to BSN programs in Bakersfield, The two public programs (Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield) no longer have waiting lists. Instead, applicants who are not accepted must reapply every semester.
Both programs have approximately 30 units of prerequisites. Points are also awarded for experience in the healthcare field, GPA, and veteran status. So it may take a while to be accepted to a program if you don't have work experience or a really good GPA.
For the two private RN programs (Unitek and North-West College) are currently accepting applicants. There are minimal prerequisites for both programs, because the Science, English, and Math classes are taught DURING the program, not before.
Of course, the trade-off between public and private programs is that the private programs are usually significantly more expensive. Both Unitek and North-West College offer financial aid, participate in Federal Student Aid, and financial guidance.
The job outlook for registered nurses has never been brighter. But how are you supposed to pay for nursing school in the first place? Unlike many other degree programs, RN new grads usually have starting salaries that are higher than their student loan debt. There are also loan forgiveness programs that may erase some or most of your loan balance.
The first step in researching how to finance your education is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. It is critical to submit your FAFSA form if you will need ANY financial aid. FAFSA is the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid(FSA) form. FSA is the largest provider of student aid in the country. The office of FSA provides more than $110 billion in loans, work-study, and grants every year.
Every year, over 10 million students use Federal Student Aid to attend college. FSA offers free assistance to borrowers and students throughout the entire financial aid process.
Pay for registered nurses across the country continues to hit new highs year after year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) is the main US agency that measures increases and decreases in pay, productivity, working conditions, and other market changes. According to the BLS, the average annual salary for registered nurses in 2022 was $75,330.
That average salary can vary greatly depending on where you live and work. In California, for example, the median RN salary is now $120,560. That's according to California's Employment Development Department(EDD). Of course even that number can vary wildly depending on years of experience, specialties, and location within the state.
South Dakota has the lowest average RN pay, at $59,540 annually.
There are significant differences in pay when it comes to registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses. The average salary for registered nurses was $75,330 in 2022. For licensed vocational nurses, the average pay was $48,820, a difference of more than $25,000 a year.
In California, the difference is even more stark: The average pay for RNs in California is now $120,560 per year. For licensed vocational nurses, the average salary is $63,676 per year. That's a difference of over $55,000 a year!
The average LVN program can take anywhere from 10 to 18 months to complete. There are currently has 6 accredited LVN programs in Bakersfield.
Some of these programs require prerequisites (Bakersfield College, Bakersfield Adult School, And Kern River Valley Community College). The other 3 are private colleges, and don't require educational prerequisites.
RN programs take at least 18 months longer than for LVNs. BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) programs can take up to 4 years if a student is going full-time. For students who begin their prerequisites on a part-time basis, it can take 5 or more years to complete.
There are also more prerequisite courses which must be completed if applying at Bakersfield Community College or Cal State Bakersfield. For Unitek and North-West College, required non-nursing coursework (Math, English, Science) is completed while attending the RN program.