Overview
Career outlook
Employers hire licensed practical nurses to provide basic patient care such as monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and assisting with daily needs under the supervision of registered nurses and physicians.
Getting in
What Santa Barbara City College asks for, taken from its own admissions page.
What you'll need
- Prerequisite courses
- Transcripts
Full-time three-semester (50 unit) program with a summer break; a cohort of 40 begins every 18 months and seats are offered in the order complete applications are received, with a waitlist after 40. Entry requirements for the Fall 2026 cohort: proof of high school graduation or equivalency, ATI TEAS Version 7 with total 62%, math 62% and reading 66% (results sent directly from ATI), an active California CNA license, and anatomy and physiology (BMS 100, or BMS 107 and 108) with C or higher, no recency limit. Next application cycle begins March 1, 2027 for the cohort starting January 2028. NCLEX-PN pass rate 100% in 2023 through 2026.
Checked Oct 2026 on the school's site. Requirements change each cycle, so confirm before you apply.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites you'll need to meet to apply to this program at Santa Barbara City College. Open a category to see each one.