About University of California-Irvine
Located in a large city, University of California-Irvine is a public university in Irvine, California, with about 30,200 undergraduate students, most of them full time. The federal student-to-faculty ratio is about 19 to 1.
Nursing programs at University of California-Irvine
The nursing offerings tracked in federal data here are the bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN), master’s degree in nursing (MSN), and doctoral degree in nursing (DNP). Recent annual completions came to about 47 bachelor’s-level nursing graduates and about 18 master’s-level nursing graduates. A bachelor’s program is the traditional four-year route to RN licensure and the usual starting point for later graduate study; see our ADN vs. BSN guide if you are still deciding on a degree level. Graduate options (MSN and DNP) are aimed at licensed nurses moving into advanced practice, leadership, or teaching. That is a relatively small annual graduating class, so ask how many seats open each year.
Cost and student outcomes
Published tuition and fees are about $16,200 a year for in-state students and $53,800 for out-of-state students. The average net price (what students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships) is about $13,900 a year. About 37% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Students who finish the bachelor’s level and borrow leave with median federal loan debt of about $11,000. Federal earnings data puts median pay for those bachelor’s-level nursing graduates at roughly $95,300 one year after finishing and $119,500 four years out. These are estimates for graduates with reported earnings, not a promise. Schoolwide, about 87% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time and 94% return for a second year.
Applying and licensure
Admission is highly selective: about 29% of applicants were admitted overall, so strong grades and test scores matter before you even reach the nursing application. Nursing programs usually add their own steps, such as prerequisite science courses, an entrance exam, a minimum GPA, and a limited number of seats, so contact the nursing department about current requirements. Our guide on how to get into nursing school walks through the typical process. To work as a nurse in California, graduates apply for a license with the California Board of Registered Nursing (for RN licensure) or the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (for LVN licensure) and pass the NCLEX. Before you commit, verify the program’s ACEN or CCNE accreditation and state approval, and compare it with other options on our California nursing schools page.
Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and can change. Confirm current details with the school.
