Bakersfield offers 4 nursing schools with ADN, BSN, RN-to-BSN, and VN/LVN options. Local RN salaries reach six figures while Central Valley housing costs remain far below coastal California, giving your earning power real advantage.
Bakersfield College's ADN program can cost as little as $4,000–$8,000 total, while private BSN options locally may exceed $55,000. Glendale Career College's Bakersfield campus now offers both associate-level RN study and an RN-to-BSN completion track alongside its VN program.
Bakersfield has 4 schools offering nursing program options spanning ADN, BSN, RN-to-BSN, and VN tracks. Click each school below for detailed program information.
Bakersfield College offers the most affordable RN route in the area through its Associate Degree in Nursing program, plus a separate LVN certificate. As a public community college in the Kern district, tuition stays remarkably low. Admission is competitive and uses a multi-criteria point system, so strong prerequisite grades matter.
CSUB is Bakersfield's public university nursing option within the California State University system. It offers a prelicensure BSN for first-time nursing students, an RN-to-BSN completion track for already licensed RNs, and graduate-level MSN study. The program has a strong reputation, public-university pricing, and highly competitive fall-only admissions.
Unitek offers a private accelerated BSN and a Vocational Nursing diploma at its Bakersfield campus. You can finish the BSN in roughly 36 months with multiple start dates and rolling admissions. The trade-off is cost — tuition runs significantly higher than Bakersfield College or CSUB, so weigh the faster timeline against the price difference carefully.
Glendale Career College's Bakersfield campus offers three distinct nursing tracks. Its Associate of Arts in Nursing is a registered nursing program preparing you for RN licensure. The RN-to-BSN course is a completion option designed exclusively for already licensed RNs seeking a bachelor's degree. Its Vocational Nurse program provides a faster nursing entry point but does not lead directly to RN licensure.
Bakersfield students can choose among ADN, BSN, RN-to-BSN, graduate nursing, and VN/LVN options depending on experience level, budget, and long-term career goals.
Bakersfield has two distinct BSN situations. CSUB and Unitek offer direct prelicensure BSN programs for students who want to earn their first RN license with a bachelor's degree. Separately, CSUB and Glendale offer RN-to-BSN completion tracks designed exclusively for nurses who already hold an active RN license and want to add a bachelor's credential.
Bakersfield College's ADN is the cheapest local RN route at roughly $4,000–$8,000 total. Glendale Career College's Associate of Arts in Nursing also belongs in the associate-level RN conversation. Both paths prepare you to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and earn your license. After passing, you can bridge to a BSN later while working as a registered nurse.
Vocational nursing is not the same as RN licensure, but it gets you into the nursing field faster — often in about 12 months. After earning your VN credential and passing the NCLEX-PN, you can work as a licensed vocational nurse while exploring LVN-to-RN bridge options later. Bakersfield College, Unitek, and Glendale all offer VN or LVN programs locally.
RN-to-BSN programs are specifically for nurses who already hold an active RN license and want to earn a bachelor's degree. These are not beginner programs. In Bakersfield, CSUB and Glendale Career College both offer RN-to-BSN tracks. CSUB also provides MSN-level graduate study for nurses seeking leadership, education, or advanced practice roles.
If you are starting from scratch and want to become an RN, your main local options are Bakersfield College's ADN, CSUB's prelicensure BSN, Unitek's accelerated BSN, or Glendale's Associate of Arts in Nursing. Bakersfield College is by far the most affordable at roughly $4,000–$8,000 total, but admission is competitive and seat availability is limited. CSUB's BSN costs more at around $22,000–$28,000 but gives you a four-year bachelor's degree from a public university. Unitek's BSN moves faster at about 36 months but costs $55,000–$65,000. Glendale's associate-level RN program is another private option worth exploring for current pricing and timeline.
If you already hold an RN license and want a BSN, the RN-to-BSN tracks at CSUB and Glendale are designed for you — do not confuse these with beginner programs. If your goal is to enter nursing quickly before committing to a full RN path, VN programs at Bakersfield College, Unitek, or Glendale can get you working in about 12 months. Bakersfield's mean RN salary of approximately $95,000–$115,000 paired with median home prices around $350,000–$400,000 means your dollar stretches further here than in LA or the Bay Area.
Salary information based on U.S. Department of Labor O*NET data. Select your state and metro area to view localized salary ranges.
If Bakersfield's four nursing schools do not fit your schedule, budget, or program preferences, you may want to explore RN programs in other parts of California or neighboring states. Expanding your search radius can open up additional ADN, BSN, and accelerated options that might better match your situation.
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Bakersfield College's ADN is the price leader locally, costing roughly $4,000–$8,000 total for in-district students. That is a fraction of what private BSN programs charge, and both paths lead to the same NCLEX-RN exam and RN license.
Glendale Career College's Bakersfield campus is not a VN-only school. It lists an Associate of Arts in Nursing registered nursing program and an RN-to-BSN completion course alongside its Vocational Nurse track, giving students multiple nursing pathways.
RN-to-BSN programs are valuable for career advancement, but they are completion tracks for nurses who already hold an active RN license. If you have not yet become an RN, you need a prelicensure ADN or BSN program first.
Bakersfield's lower housing costs mean your nursing paycheck goes further. With median home prices around $350,000–$400,000 and RN salaries averaging $95,000–$115,000, your purchasing power here outpaces most coastal California metros.
Kern County employers including Adventist Health Bakersfield, Dignity Health, Kern Medical, and Kaiser Permanente continue recruiting nurses. Shortages persist in emergency departments, ICUs, and rural health settings, supporting strong local demand for new graduates.