An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) is a two-year undergraduate degree that serves to prepare students for a career as a registered nurse. The degree focuses on the practical aspects of the field and includes classroom work, internships, and lab sessions as part of the curriculum. If a career in nursing sounds like the right path for you, check out our list of 2-year nursing programs in California below.
If you’re already a CNA, there are CNA to LVN programs in California. And if you’re already an LVN, there are LVN to RN bridge programs in California.
Featured programs
Allan Hancock College
For students who have already completed a vocational nursing program, or hold status in California as an LVN, the program at Allan Hancock College is a good option. This Registered Nursing program is a two-semester program, starting each spring, that is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
The program consists of classroom lectures and supervised practice in both lab and real-world settings. Students will learn the foundational concepts needed to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, all from professors who have varying degrees of experience in the field.
Because the program builds on vocational nursing preparation, eligibility is limited to California-licensed LVNs and graduates of accredited vocational nursing programs who have finished the college’s prerequisites. Hancock also offers a 30-unit certificate of achievement route alongside the associate degree.
800 S. College Dr. Santa Maria, CA 93454
805-922-6966 ext. 3384
Cerritos College
The ADN at Cerritos College was designed in adherence to the NCLEX-RN test plan. This is a 2-year degree that spans the exam’s four Client Needs categories, two of which divide into subcategories, and it concludes with students applying for licensure through the Board of Registered Nursing.
The program runs six admission options covering generic applicants, licensed psychiatric technicians and military applicants, LVNs seeking advanced placement, the LVN 30-unit licensure-only route, transfers from other nursing programs, and Board of Registered Nursing referrals. The generic associate degree track is the most common route, and it leads to both licensure and further education in the state.
Students will find lab opportunities, internships, classroom lectures, and tutoring options available at this school. Cerritos College also maintains advanced-placement routes for LVNs and published ADN-to-BSN partnership pathways.
11110 Alondra Blvd. Norwalk, CA 90650
562-860-2451
Chaffey College
Students who are interested in a long-established program with a clear pathway to RN licensure should consider Chaffey College. Founded in 1957, it was one of the five original Associate Degree in Nursing programs established in California, and it remains a comparatively small setting in which to learn the field.
This is a two-year degree that focuses on the practical applications of nursing and includes classroom lectures, labs, and clinical rotations. The program holds BRN approval as a prelicensure associate degree program and continuing accreditation from ACEN. Students who complete the degree will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam after graduation.
Along with the curriculum, students are provided with internship opportunities, a job resource setting, and academic clubs that correlate to their studies. Chaffey also provides scholarship opportunities for interested students.
5885 Haven Avenue Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737
909-652-6671 (nursing department)
Compton College
Compton College offers a four-semester Associate Degree Nursing program approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. The college was administered as a center of the El Camino Community College District for over a decade following the 2005 revocation of its accreditation; ACCJC granted it initial accreditation in June 2017 and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office declared it an independent college in August 2018, so the nursing degree is now conferred by Compton College itself.
The program admits both generic applicants with no prior nursing coursework and LVNs seeking advanced placement, with both tracks earning an Associate of Science in nursing. After the background check and drug screening are completed, students will find a curriculum that focuses on experiential learning, lab sessions, and clinical rotations. Prospective applicants must attend an information session within a year of applying. Upon completion, graduates are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN.
1111 E. Artesia Boulevard Compton, CA 90221 310-900-1600
Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health
Los Angeles County owns and operates its own institution, the College of Nursing and Allied Health, dedicated to supplying the county’s health system with clinical professionals. Its predecessor, the College Training School for Nurses, was founded in 1895 under Los Angeles County General Hospital and the USC College of Medicine, with the County Board of Supervisors formally approving the school in 1901 — making it one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the state. It awards an Associate of Science in nursing.
The two-year degree offers a classroom setting with licensed professionals but focuses more on experiential learning as well as clinical rotations. Students will find that their experiences take place at DHS facilities and allied healthcare systems. Upon graduation, all students will be eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam.
1237 North Mission Road Los Angeles, CA 90033
323-409-5911
Everything you need to know about studying for your associate degree in nursing in California
Earning an ADN from 2-year nursing programs in California is the fastest way to start a career as an RN. However, it is important for students to understand that this degree is known by a few monikers, including AN, for Associate of Nursing; ASN, for Associate of Science in Nursing; and AAS, for Associate of Applied Science in Nursing.
Learn more about the levels of nursing and nursing degrees.
No matter what the degree distinction, an associate’s degree will help students looking for 2-year nursing programs in California and hoping to become RNs. If you are already a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), you can also look at CNA to LVN Bridge programs in California.
Nursing programs in California, from the Bay Area to Southern California, are internationally recognized for both curriculum and clinical rotation opportunities. Schools that offer these diplomas are known for providing students with a solid understanding of the field as well as preparing them to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, a requirement for those who wish to practice in the state.
What to look for
While these degrees are in demand by students, it is critical that any applicant study the schools and their programs carefully before making a decision. Not all colleges are created equal, so it is important for students to take the time to research aspects of the curriculum and the department itself prior to making a decision.
Accreditation and licensing
Accreditation and licensing remain the most important factors in choosing an ADN program, and the two are commonly confused. In California, what is required is approval by the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN). A prelicensure program must hold BRN approval for its graduates to be eligible to sit the NCLEX-RN in the state.
Programmatic accreditation is a separate, voluntary quality review. At the associate level it comes from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA). Many California ADN programs hold it and many do not, so its absence is not a sign that a program is unapproved. Note that CCNE, the accreditor students most often hear about, accredits only baccalaureate and graduate programs and never an ADN.
Separately, the college itself will carry institutional accreditation, usually from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), the regional body covering associate-degree institutions in California, Hawaii and the Pacific. That accredits the whole institution rather than the nursing program specifically, so it is not a substitute for either BRN approval or nursing-specific accreditation.
Because BRN approval is what gates NCLEX-RN eligibility, confirm it directly on the Board’s published list of approved prelicensure programs before enrolling, rather than relying on a school’s own marketing language. The Board also publishes each program’s NCLEX-RN pass rate and attrition data, which is the most useful comparison material available for California programs.
Program outcomes
Like all other fields of study, ADN programs have specific parameters that students can use to compare similar degrees from different schools. These factors include the following:
- Graduation rates
- Employment outcomes
- NCLEX-RN exam pass rates
- Retention rates
- Concentration opportunities
- Student satisfaction data in the form of surveys
These play a large role in a student’s decision because a school with a few or all of these factors will be more favorable than a school that only has one or two. The information listed above can be found on each school’s degree website page.
Learn more about the levels of nursing and nursing degrees.
References
- California Board of Registered Nursing, “Approved Prelicensure Registered Nursing Programs,” California Department of Consumer Affairs.
- California Board of Registered Nursing, “Accreditation, Attrition, and On Time Completion Rates,” rn.ca.gov.
- California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 14, Article 3, “Prelicensure Nursing Programs.”
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, “ACEN Accreditation Manual: Standards and Criteria for Associate Programs.”
- NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation, “Accreditation Standards for Nursing Education Programs,” National League for Nursing.
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, “Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs,” American Association of Colleges of Nursing. CCNE approved a revised 2026 edition of these Standards on 7 July 2026, realigning them with the AACN Essentials (2026 edition); the 2024 Standards remain in effect through 31 December 2026 and the 2026 Standards take effect 1 January 2027 (CCNE press release, https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/CCNE/CCNE-Press-Release-2026-Education-Standards.pdf).
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, “Accreditation Standards,” accjc.org.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “NCLEX-RN Examination Test Plan,” effective April 2026.
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing, “2025 NCLEX Examination Statistics,” Research Brief Vol. 96, June 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141),” May 2025.
- Chaffey College, “Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program,” chaffey.edu — program founding (1957), ACEN continuing accreditation, BRN prelicensure approval.
- Compton College, “ADN Degree,” compton.edu — four-semester structure, generic and LVN advanced-placement entry, information-session requirement.
- California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, “Compton College Clears Last Accreditation Hurdle Needed for Full Independence,” cccco.edu — ACCJC initial accreditation June 2017, Executive Order 2018-01 declaring independent college status August 2018.
- Allan Hancock College, “Registered Nursing,” hancockcollege.edu — two-semester LVN-to-RN structure, spring start, 30-unit certificate option.
- Cerritos College, “Registered Nursing,” cerritos.edu — six admission options, ADN-to-BSN partnerships.
- Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, “College of Nursing and Allied Health — Who We Are,” dhs.lacounty.gov — 1895 founding as the College Training School for Nurses, 1901 Board of Supervisors approval.