As of October 2026. Every number below is sourced; the list is at the end.
As of October 2026, at the California campuses that report a first-year number, it is very hard. UC Irvine's Nursing Science program admitted 57 of 7,079 first-year applicants for fall 2025 -- 1%. San Diego State admitted 306 of 8,620 -- 3.5%. At the other end of the same state, Cal State LA admitted 1,746 of 2,024 -- 86.3%.
Same degree, same year, 1% and 86%. The campus admit rate tells a parent almost nothing here. The program number is the one that matters.
Every first-year nursing admit rate California's systems report
| College | Program | Applied | Admitted | Rate | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Irvine | Nursing Science | 7,079 | 57 | 1% | Fall 2025 |
| San Diego State | Nursing Pre-Licensure | 8,620 | 306 | 3.5% | Fall 2025 |
| Cal State Fullerton | Nursing Pre-Licensure | 343 | 64 | 18.7% | Fall 2025 |
| Cal State San Marcos | Nursing Pre-Licensure | 90 | 66 | 73.3% | Fall 2025 |
| Cal State LA | Nursing Pre-Licensure | 2,024 | 1,746 | 86.3% | Fall 2025 |
Five rows. That is the whole list, from the UC and CSU systems' own reporting. Every other California campus either starts students somewhere else or publishes no first-year number at all. The full table is on Reach's nursing page.
Direct admit and pre-nursing are not the same offer
Of the 43 California programs with a published admission path, 15 admit a first-year student straight into nursing. 25 start that student as pre-nursing. 3 take only students who already hold a bachelor's degree.
Pre-nursing is not nursing. The student is admitted to the university, spends a year or two on prerequisite courses, then applies again for a small number of seats. That second gate is usually the hard one, and nothing about the campus admit rate warns you about it.
Seven campuses report no first-year nursing admissions at all
Seven CSU campuses report nursing on the transfer side only. Long Beach admitted 39 of 1,373 applicants. Channel Islands admitted 19 of 241. Fresno admitted 51 of 310. Cal State East Bay, San Francisco State, Stanislaus and Northridge are the other four.
Six more campuses report only an RN-to-BSN row: Sonoma State, Monterey Bay, Dominguez Hills, San Bernardino, Cal Poly Humboldt and San Jose State. That program is for people who are already licensed nurses. It is not a path out of high school.
What a score and a GPA actually do
In California, a score does nothing. UC and CSU are both test-blind: they do not consider an SAT or ACT even when a student sends one. Grades and prerequisite courses carry the whole application. UC lists its admitted Nursing Science students at a 4.27 to 4.34 GPA.
Outside California it flips. Several publics with large nursing schools require a score from every first-year applicant: the University of Florida, Florida State, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Purdue (West Lafayette) and The Ohio State University. UNC Chapel Hill requires one too, unless the student has a weighted GPA of 2.80 or above. None of those systems reports a separate nursing admit rate, so the campus rate is what is public: UNC 19%, Florida 24%, Florida State 25%, Tennessee 46%, Purdue 50%, Ohio State 51%. State by state, the rules are in the 2026 Public University Test Policy Report.
So a California student aiming at nursing in Florida or Ohio needs a score. A California student aiming at a UC or a CSU needs the grades.
The move
If your student is looking at nursing outside California, have them sit one full-length practice SAT and one full-length practice ACT this month and pick the better fit. Both mocks are free: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. Then block 6 to 12 weeks and prepare for the whole SAT or ACT every sitting, never one section. Either way, check each campus for direct admit or pre-nursing before the list is final. Call 949.229.5359 and we will go through it with you.
Questions parents ask
Can my child apply straight into nursing as a freshman?
At some campuses yes, at most no. Of the 43 California programs with a published admission path, 15 admit a first-year student straight into nursing, 25 start that student as pre-nursing, and 3 take only students who already hold a bachelor's degree.
What is the hardest nursing program to get into in California?
UC Irvine's Nursing Science program admitted 57 of 7,079 first-year applicants for fall 2025, a rate of 1%. San Diego State admitted 306 of 8,620, a rate of 3.5%.
Does my daughter need an SAT or ACT score for a nursing program?
In California, no -- UC and CSU are both test-blind and do not consider a score even when a student sends one. Outside California several publics with large nursing schools require one from every first-year applicant, including the University of Florida, Florida State, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Purdue (West Lafayette) and The Ohio State University.
Written by Nick Standlea, founder of Test Prep Gurus. Updated October 2026.