Citrus College

Citrus College is a public community college in Glendora in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, about 25 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The nursing and nurse aide programs are housed in the Health Sciences Department, with offices in the Professional Center (PC) building at the northeast corner of campus near Foothill Boulevard and Barranca Avenue.

Prospective students typically look at Citrus for multiple entry points into nursing: a Nurse Assistant (CNA) program, a one year Vocational Nursing (LVN) program, an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) for RN licensure, and an LVN to ADN pathway (advanced placement). The ADN curriculum is structured around a blend of nursing theory and direct patient care practice, and it is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. For LVNs, the advanced placement route includes a transition course (RNRS 200) and then placement into the third semester of the ADN sequence.

Time and scheduling are important to plan for. The LVN program is full-time over one year, runs five days a week, and may include occasional evening or weekend assignments; cohorts start in fall and spring with 24 students per cohort, and full-time work is not recommended while enrolled. In the ADN program, the weekly mix of lecture, skills lab, and clinical hours varies by semester, and the program also advises against working full-time due to reading and clinical demands.

For costs, Citrus publishes an April 2025 estimate for the Vocational Nursing (LVN) program: $5,218 total for enrollment and campus fees, uniforms, books and NCLEX prep materials, background check tracking, and required health clearances, plus about $900 in post-completion costs such as licensure fees.

Citrus reports its ADN (RN) program began in fall 2007, and its nursing teaching approach includes classroom instruction, skills lab practice, and clinical practice, with some courses specifically referencing computerized simulation manikins and scenarios. On licensure outcomes, Citrus College’s average weighted NCLEX-RN pass rate is 96.4% compared with the 2024 California average of 92.7%, and its average weighted NCLEX-PN pass rate is 93.1% compared with the 2024 California average of 83.8%.