Best Nursing Schools Near Bakersfield, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Bakersfield, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $1,438 to $20,730 per year for indexed programs. Bakersfield has a population of about 408,366. Median household income is $77,397 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $292,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Bakersfield

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Bakersfield, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bakersfield city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Bakersfield. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 0.9 miles from Bakersfield
  • 2 year
42.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,472
Avg net price $51,867/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 1.5 miles from Bakersfield
  • 2 year
39.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,317
Avg net price $23,351/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA 3.9 miles from Bakersfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,009
Avg net price $5,652/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 5.2 miles from Bakersfield
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California nursing page.

Nursing Wages Near Bakersfield

Bakersfield is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $128,810 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $127,661
Licensed Practical Nurse $76,130 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $75,451
Nurse Anesthetist $292,410 CA statewide $289,802
Nurse Midwife $203,840 CA statewide $202,022
Nurse Practitioner $165,580 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $164,103
Nursing Assistant $46,130 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $45,719

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Bakersfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 408,366 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Kern County 14,558 workers, 212 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Bakersfield-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Bakersfield, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Bakersfield. The closest is Glendale Career College-North-West College-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Porterville College (48.1 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Bakersfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Bakersfield are: Nurse Anesthetist ($292,410), Nurse Midwife ($203,840), Nurse Practitioner ($165,580). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Shafter instead of Bakersfield?

Shafter, CA is 12.6 miles from Bakersfield and has its own set of local nursing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Bakersfield an affordable place to study nursing?

Bakersfield’s median household income of $77,397 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bakersfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Nursing Programs

Other Programs Available in Bakersfield

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Bakersfield:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Nursing Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)