Is Santa Ana College of Nursing Worth It? Nurses Review

Image source: SAC

Santa Ana College of Nursing, established in 1915, is one of the oldest community colleges in California. There are currently three programs available to students: the generic RN program, an LVN to RN program, and a non-degree LVN program. There is no traditional BSN program available at Santa Ana; however, counselors are available to discuss a plan for enrollment into a BSN program at multiple California State Universities. Read on to learn more about Santa Ana College of Nursing’s program and if it’s right for you.

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Stats 

Private or Public: Public

General Tuition: $46 per credit hour

Acceptance Rate: 10%

Application Deadlines: February 15th for Fall admission, September 15th for spring admission

Accreditation: Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges, the Western Association of Schools and College, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

Source: Santa Ana College Website

Contact Information

• Address:  1530 W. 17th Street Santa Ana, CA 92706-3398

• Email: studentoutre​ach@sac.edu​​

• Phone Number:  (714) 564-6000

• Social platforms:

  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • LinkedIn

  • Twitter

Additional Info

• Total number of students: Not reported

• Graduation rate: 85%

Degrees Offered

Generic RN

• Tuition: $3,082

• Program Length: 24 Months

• Online Options Available? No

LVN to RN

• Tuition: $3,082

• Program Length: 24 Months

• Online Options Available? No

Thirty (30) Unit LVN Option

• Tuition: $1,380

• Program Length:  12 Months

• Online Options Available? No

Is Santa Ana College of Nursing a Good Nursing Program?

Santa Ana’s nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) for all MSN degree programs, which means that it adheres to the highest educational standards for nursing programs in the US. 

What Do You Need to Get Into Santa Ana College of Nursing?

• Official Santa Ana application

• Complete high school/equivalency or have a college degree, verified by submitting official transcripts of high school or college graduation, passing GED, or passing the California High School Proficiency Examination.

• TEAS Examination

• Complete the courses or equivalents (units are semester units):

  • English 101/101H, Freshman Composition (4 units)

  • Biology 239, General Human Anatomy (4 units)

  • Biology 249, Human Physiology (4 units)

  • Biology 139, Health Microbiology (4 units) (Biology 229, General Microbiology, 5 units, is acceptable)

• All prerequisites require a grade of “C” or higher with an overall Science Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher

• Unofficial or Official transcripts must be attached to and submitted with the application 

• Physical examination by a licensed healthcare provider

• Background check

• COVID-19 vaccination

• Negative Drug Test

• Current CPR card for Healthcare Providers or Basic Life Support from American Heart Association

• Malpractice insurance

How Hard is the Nursing Program at Santa Ana College of Nursing?

Santa Ana’s nursing program is surprisingly difficult to earn acceptance, especially for a two-year ADN program. According to Santa Ana’s fact sheet, roughly 400 applications are received during each open application period. The fall cohort accepts between 58 and 60 students while the spring cohort only accepts 40 students. 

On average, the acceptance rate is roughly 10%, which makes this a very difficult program to get into. 

Applications are made available online two months prior to the application period and students that are not accepted initially must reapply during the next application period in order to be reconsidered. 

While this is slightly outdated, these are the waitlist numbers for the LVN-RN program. The waitlist is started sometimes years in advance because the demand is high. 

 1st semester​ - 5 people on the list as of 12/30/2021. 

 2nd  semester - 3 people on the list as of 12/30/2021.

 3rd semester​​ - 60 people on the list as of 12/30/2021.

 4th ​semester​​​​ - 4 people on the list ​as of 01/04/2022.

What Kind of Support Does Santa Ana College of Nursing Offer?

Santa Ana has numerous resources available to students. 

• Open Educational Resources (OER) - offers course materials that can be used and reused at no cost.

• Career Center - Live online chat 5 days a week.

• Learning Center - In-person tutoring available

• Extensive Online Resources

  • Canvas

  • TechConnect Zoom

  • Pronto

  • ePortfolios

  • MS 365

  • NetTutor

  • NameCoach

  • Access to free eTextbooks

Santa Ana’s main concern, beyond providing a great nursing experience, is affordable and accessible services and resources to students. Additional Services include, 

• Reduced Cost or Free Internet Access

• Digital Don (Laptop & Webcam) Borrow Program

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How Much Is the Nursing Program at Santa Ana?

Santa Ana is surprisingly affordable and offers an exceptional educational value. The fees are very very low. Over 65% of all students at Santa Ana College last year paid no tuition thanks to generous financial aid. 

Course Fees:

• Enrollment fees = $46.00 per unit (all students)

• Nonresident tuition ​= $345.00 per unit (This includes a capital outlay fee of $13 and tuition of $332)

Mandatory Health Fee:

• Fall and Spring = $19.00

• Intersession and Summer = $16.00

Miscellaneous Fee:

• Student Representation Fee = $2.00 per semester

Santa Ana does offer free tuition for the full-time Santa Ana Unified School District. All Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) students who graduated after 2016 are eligible. 

 Is Santa Ana College of Nursing Worth It?

Many students want to know if the cost of Santa Ana College of Nursing is worth the expected salary. Truthfully, the tuition cost is so low and there are so many financial resources available at Santa Ana that the cost of tuition is 100% worth it. Some of the factors that students must consider before choosing a nursing program include:

• The type of healthcare institution where you will be employed

• The city and state will you live

• Whether you work part-time or full-time

• Whether you pick up overtime shifts or weekends (for a higher hourly wage)?

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nurses earn a median annual salary of $81,220 or $39.05 per hour. However, the range varies widely depending on many of the factors mentioned above. 

According to ZipRecruiter, nurse salaries range from $24,500 to $157,500, with an annual mean salary of $90,901.  Keep in mind that nurses who live in cities and states with a higher cost of living typically earn much higher salaries than nurses who work in more rural areas.

What is Santa Ana College of Nursing's Transfer Policy?

Unfortunately, the transfer policy at Santa Ana is basically non-existent. According to their website, transferring to Santa Ana is very difficult.  An individual appointment with the Program Director or designee is required to determine appropriate placement.

For those interested in transferring, successful theory and clinical courses must be completed within the last three years. It is important to note that not all nursing programs line up with Santa Ana’s programs.

Santa Ana College of Nursing Reviews

“Santa Ana is a great community college that will help you receive amazing hands-on experience in the profession you aspire to pursue at a much cheaper expense than a university. The professors are amazing at teaching and encouraging you to do the best you possibly can.” - Junior

“They make registration easy and simple. Never find the difficulty to overthink about what you want to do. There's never a doubt on whether or not you have to wait for a long time to receive a response when you need help because they are right there ready for your questions with answers.” - Freshman