| Type | Health-careers college; most certificates blend online lectures with campus labs; an Online Division for certificates and bachelor’s degrees |
|---|---|
| Campuses | 25 campuses plus a learning center (Glendale, AZ) in 7 states: AZ, CA, ID, NV, NM, OR, WA; plus online |
| Credentials | Certificates, associate degrees, and online bachelor’s degrees in dental hygiene, healthcare administration, nursing (RN-to-BSN) and respiratory therapy |
| Program length | Phlebotomy about 3 months; most certificates 36 weeks; most associate degrees about 15–23 months; nursing bridges 8–12 months |
| Accreditation | ACCJC (institutional); CODA, CoARC, CAAHEP, CAPTE, AVMA CVTEA and ACEN for individual programs |
| Federal aid | Yes; Cal Grants in California; GI Bill for selected programs, Yellow Ribbon, Military Tuition Assistance |
| Owner | San Joaquin Valley College, Inc., Visalia, CA, since 2018 (bought from Adtalem, formerly DeVry). Founded 1967 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
About Carrington College
Carrington College is a health-careers college founded in 1967. DeVry, later renamed Adtalem, owned it from 2008 and sold it in 2018 to San Joaquin Valley College, Inc., the Perry family company that also runs San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC). In 2025 the two colleges swapped programs rather than merging: SJVC’s health programs and 11 of its California sites became Carrington, and Carrington’s trade and business programs, including electrical and HVAC-R, moved to SJVC. Carrington took the last trade programs out of its catalog in July 2026 and now teaches only health programs. Its California institution reported 7,543 students in 2024.
The campuses are in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington, 16 of them in California. Most teach short certificates such as medical and dental assisting; nursing and the therapy and imaging degrees are taught at fewer sites.
Programs and where they are taught
Programs differ a lot by campus. Carrington doesn’t print prices on its program pages, so the costs below are total charges from public filings: Carrington’s 2024 report to California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), Bakersfield’s fact sheet for 2025 starts, federal College Navigator data for Phoenix (2024–25) and catalog supplements. Costs at other campuses differ.
| Program | Credential | Length (about) | Campuses | Prepares for | Sample total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) | Associate degree | 23 months | 10 (AZ, CA, NM, NV, OR) | NCLEX-RN | $63,436 (Phoenix, 2024–25) |
| LVN/LPN-to-RN bridge | Associate degree | 8–12 months | 5 (CA, ID) | NCLEX-RN | $47,350 (California, 2024) |
| Vocational Nursing | Certificate | 12 months | 6 (CA) | NCLEX-PN (LVN) | $43,401 (California, 2024) |
| Practical Nursing | Certificate | 12 months | Albuquerque, Boise | NCLEX-PN (LPN) | – |
| Dental Assisting | Certificate (associate option at Sacramento, San Jose) | 36 weeks | 19 | California RDA exam (CA campuses) | $24,738 (Bakersfield, 2025) |
| Dental Hygiene | Associate degree | 64–80 weeks | 6 (AZ, CA, ID) | Hygienist licensing exams; CODA-accredited | $80,300 (California, 2024) |
| Medical Assisting | Certificate (online associate option) | 36 weeks | 25, plus online | NHA CCMA; RMA or CMA (blended) | $20,116 (Phoenix, 2024–25) |
| Medical Office Administration / Medical Administrative Assistant | Certificate | 9 months | 9 (CA), plus online | – | $22,392 (Bakersfield, 2025) |
| Medical Billing and Coding | Certificate or associate degree | 9–13 months | Online, with in-person externship | NHA CBCS | $21,589 (certificate, 2024) |
| Pharmacy Technology | Certificate | 36 weeks | 20, plus online | PTCB CPhT or NHA ExCPT | $22,404 (Bakersfield, 2025) |
| Phlebotomy Technician | Certificate of completion | 3 months | Reno only | NHA CPT | – |
| Respiratory Therapy | Associate degree (online bachelor’s option) | 75 weeks | 8 (AZ, CA, NV) | NBRC TMC and CSE (RRT); CoARC-accredited | $57,265 (Bakersfield, 2025) |
| Surgical Technology | Associate degree | 15 months | 6 (AZ, CA) | NBSTSA CST; CAAHEP-accredited | $46,788 (Bakersfield, 2025) |
| Radiologic Technology | Associate degree | 23 months | Fresno, Temecula | ARRT radiography | $68,502 (California, Apr 2026) |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonography | Associate degree | 18 months | Bakersfield, Temecula | ARDMS (optional) | $54,820 (Bakersfield, 2025) |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | Associate degree | 19 months | Pleasant Hill, Las Vegas | NPTE; CAPTE-accredited | $53,845 (California, 2024) |
| Veterinary Technology | Associate degree | 19 months | 6 (CA) | VTNE; AVMA CVTEA-accredited | $42,690 (California, 2024) |
| Veterinary Assisting | Certificate | 9 months | 6 (AZ, CA, WA) | – | $23,417 (Bakersfield, 2025) |
| Massage Therapy | Certificate | 9 months | Boise, Spokane (new students) | MBLEx | – |
| Online bachelor’s degrees | Bachelor’s | Healthcare Administration as few as 3 years | Online | – | RN-to-BSN $15,840; Healthcare Administration $66,400 (Oct 2026) |
Carrington also teaches a Health Studies associate degree at Phoenix, Boise, Portland and Spokane and online ($16,177 on the 2024 California report). Programmatic accreditation is named for dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, surgical technology, physical therapist assisting, veterinary technology and some nursing programs (ACEN at six RN and two practical nursing campuses), but not for dental assisting, radiologic technology or sonography.
What the main programs cover
Associate Degree in Nursing (RN)
The ADN runs about 23 months and grew from 72 to 74 credits for students starting from mid-2026. Before admission, applicants take the ATI TEAS and must reach a minimum score, attend an information session, and provide an American Heart Association BLS card, immunization records, a background check and a drug screen. The program combines campus classes with clinical rotations. State nursing boards approve it in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico, and ACEN accredits it at Albuquerque, Mesa, Phoenix, Reno and Tucson.
Medical Assisting
In the blended format, the 36-credit certificate totals 750 contact hours: online lectures, campus labs and a 180-hour clinical externship at the end, at a site the college arranges. The fully online format totals 870 hours, with 315 externship hours split across two placements, so online students still spend time in person at a healthcare site. Blended graduates can choose among the NHA’s CCMA, the RMA and the CMA exams; online graduates are prepared for the CCMA. An online associate degree version is also offered.
Dental Assisting
The 36-credit certificate breaks down into 300 lecture hours, 360 lab hours and a 180-hour externship. At ten California campuses the program is approved by the Dental Board of California, which lets graduates take the Registered Dental Assistant (RDA) exam; Carrington’s pages name no comparable approval in its other states and no CODA accreditation. At Sacramento and San Jose, students can take a science-emphasis associate degree instead of the certificate.
Respiratory Therapy
The associate degree is 86 credits over about 75 weeks and includes 675 clinical hours. All eight programs (Bakersfield, Las Vegas, Ontario, Phoenix, Pleasant Hill, Rancho Cordova, Temecula and Visalia) are accredited by CoARC, each under its own program number. Graduates are prepared for the NBRC’s Therapist Multiple-Choice exam and Clinical Simulation Exam, which together lead to the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. Graduates can go on to Carrington’s online bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy.
Surgical Technology
Surgical Technology takes about 15 months (64 weeks at Bakersfield) and has no prerequisite courses: a high school diploma or GED is enough to apply. Students must take part in at least 120 surgical cases, which prepares them for the NBSTSA’s Certified Surgical Technologist exam. All six programs are CAAHEP-accredited. Retention differs widely by campus, from 92% at Bakersfield to 50% at San Jose, so ask your campus for its own figures.
Dental Hygiene
Dental Hygiene takes 64 to 80 weeks depending on the campus, and all six programs (Mesa, Ontario, Sacramento, San Jose, Visalia and Boise) are CODA-accredited. Students treat members of the public in the campus dental hygiene clinic. Depending on the campus, applicants may need earlier coursework in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, math and communication. On Carrington’s 2024 California report, 92.5% of students completed the program and 84% of graduates passed the licensing exam.
Cost and paying for it
Carrington refers students to its catalog for prices. On its 2024 report to California’s BPPE, total charges were $22,404 for Medical Assisting and Pharmacy Technology, $24,738 for Dental Assisting, $43,401 for Vocational Nursing, $62,940 for Respiratory Care and $80,300 for Dental Hygiene, the most expensive program. Bakersfield’s fact sheet for 2025 starts gives similar figures, with Respiratory Therapy at $57,265 and Sonography at $54,820. In Arizona, the Phoenix campus reported $20,116 for Medical Assisting and $63,436 for the RN degree for 2024–25. The catalog supplement effective 3 October 2026 lists the online RN-to-BSN at $15,840 and the online BS in Healthcare Administration at $66,400. The federal net price shown on Niche, after grants, runs from about $26,800 a year at Phoenix to $50,800 at Reno.
Carrington is eligible for federal student aid; 72% of its California students took federal loans in 2024, and California students can use Cal Grants. The GI Bill is approved for selected certificate and associate programs, and Carrington takes part in Yellow Ribbon and accepts Military Tuition Assistance. Named scholarships include a $5,000 Practical Nursing Merit Scholarship at Albuquerque and Boise ($2,000 in each of the first two semesters, $1,000 in the third) and a $1,000 High School Scholarship for students with a 2.0 GPA or higher who start by 30 April. Idaho residents can apply for the state’s LAUNCH grant, which covers 80% of tuition up to $8,000.
Admissions and schedule
Requirements are set by program. Nursing applicants (RN, practical and vocational) take the ATI TEAS and need a background check, drug screen, BLS card and immunizations; practical and vocational nursing applicants must be 18 or older, and RN applicants attend an information session. Surgical Technology needs only a high school diploma or GED, while Dental Hygiene may require science and other coursework first. Most certificate programs are blended, with lectures online and labs on campus, and some programs are fully online with an in-person externship. Campus hours vary: Modesto, Visalia, Albuquerque and Reno, for example, are open until 10 pm Monday to Thursday, and Albuquerque and Reno also open on Saturdays.
Accreditation, pass rates and Mesa’s nursing probation
Carrington is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), which reaffirmed it for seven years in January 2020 and accepted its midterm report in January 2024; its next comprehensive review was scheduled for fall 2025, with a focused site visit in spring 2026. Individual programs hold CODA (dental hygiene), CoARC (respiratory therapy), CAAHEP (surgical technology), CAPTE (physical therapist assistant), AVMA CVTEA (veterinary technology) and ACEN (RN programs at five campuses and practical nursing at Albuquerque and Boise) accreditation.
According to Carrington’s 2026 Student Right-to-Know disclosure, 60% of first-time, full-time students who started between September 2022 and August 2023 finished within 150% of normal time (1,742 of 2,921), from 53% in the Portland group to 66% in the Phoenix group. Completion is lower in some certificates: on the 2024 California report, 38% in medical billing and coding, 48% in pharmacy technology and 57% in medical assisting.
Licensing exam pass rates published by state boards and Carrington (first-time rates for California’s boards and the PTA exam):
| Exam | Campus | Period | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCLEX-RN | Sacramento (LVN-to-ADN) | 2024–25 | 94.8% (77 testers) |
| NCLEX-RN | Ontario, Rancho Mirage, Visalia (reported as SJVC) | 2024–25 | 92.5% (160) |
| NCLEX-RN | Phoenix / Mesa / Tucson | Jan–Jun 2026 | 87.5% / 85.7% / 81.8% |
| NCLEX-RN | Las Vegas / Reno | 2025 | 77.6% / 89.5% |
| NCLEX-RN | Boise (LPN-to-RN bridge) | 2025 | 76.7% (86) |
| NCLEX-PN | Boise (practical nursing) | 2025 | 100% (43) |
| NCLEX-PN | Six California VN programs | 2025 | 86% to 100% |
| NPTE (PTA) | Las Vegas / Pleasant Hill | 2023–24 | 74% / 76% |
| VTNE | Six California vet tech programs | 2023–24 | 31% to 60% |
Mesa’s RN program was placed on probation by the Arizona Board of Nursing under a consent agreement accepted in August 2025, after first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates of 63.4% (fourth quarter of 2024) and 72.3% (first quarter of 2025) against the board’s 80% standard. The order runs for at least 36 months and suspended admissions. An amendment on 16 April 2026 allowed admissions to resume as long as the program keeps an 80% quarterly pass rate; otherwise admissions can be suspended again, with a teach-out and revocation possible. Mesa passed 12 of 14 testers (85.7%) from January to June 2026, but only 1 of 2 in the second quarter. Phoenix’s RN program was on probation from March 2023 until the board ended it in March 2025.
Before you enroll
- Mesa’s RN program is on Arizona Board of Nursing probation until at least 2028, and its admissions depend on keeping an 80% quarterly pass rate. Ask about its current status before applying.
- Veterinary technology graduates at Carrington’s California campuses passed the VTNE at between 31% and 60% in 2023–24, so many testers did not pass.
- Costs are high for the credential: about $20,000 to $25,000 for most 36-week certificates and about $43,000 to $80,000 for vocational nursing and most nursing and allied health degrees (2024 California report). Compare public college programs before borrowing.
- Carrington’s pages name no programmatic accreditation for its new radiologic technology and sonography degrees. Ask how this affects your registry exam eligibility.
- Check that your campus teaches your program. Pharmacy technology isn’t taught at Glendale, Las Vegas, Portland, Rancho Cordova, Reno or Santa Maria, massage is open only at Boise and Spokane, and the electrical and HVAC-R programs once listed under Carrington now belong to San Joaquin Valley College.
Externships and housing
Most certificate programs end with an externship that Carrington places at an approved site: 180 hours for blended medical and dental assisting, 120 hours for blended pharmacy technology and 270 hours for online pharmacy technology. Degree programs include clinical rotations, such as 675 hours in respiratory therapy. Carrington has no student housing.
What students say
Most of Carrington’s reviews are on its Niche campus pages. Fourteen campuses have 25 or more reviews, 1,657 in total, with averages from 3.86 (Pleasant Hill) to 4.26 (Phoenix) out of 5, or about 4.1 overall (checked October 2026). The largest are Phoenix (4.26, 308 reviews), Sacramento (4.03, 238) and Tucson (4.13, 143). We found no Carrington pages on Niche for the 11 former SJVC campuses. GradReports is far more negative: of 103 reviews there, 25% would recommend Carrington; GradReports doesn’t show review dates, so we couldn’t check how recent they are.
- Praised: hands-on labs and clinicals, small classes, supportive instructors with field experience, and morning and evening schedules.
- Criticized: cost and value (Niche gives several campuses D-range value grades), disorganized administration and slow financial aid, instructor turnover, and outdated equipment (Albuquerque).
Sources
Carrington catalog (Aug 2026) · Carrington–SJVC program and location changes · Accreditation and approvals · BPPE 2024 annual report · AZ Board of Nursing, Mesa amendment (Apr 2026) · Student Right-to-Know disclosures 2026 · California BRN NCLEX pass rates · Niche (Phoenix)
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Associate Degree in Nursing (RN)
- LVN-to-RN and LPN-to-RN Nursing Bridge (associate degree)
- Vocational Nursing (California)
- Practical Nursing (Albuquerque, Boise)
- RN-to-BSN (online)
Dental
- Dental Assisting
- Dental Hygiene (associate degree)
- Dental Hygiene (online bachelor's)
Medical Assisting, Office and Pharmacy
- Medical Assisting
- Medical Office Administration
- Medical Administrative Assistant (online)
- Medical Billing and Coding (online)
- Pharmacy Technology
- Phlebotomy Technician (Reno)
Therapy, Surgery and Imaging
- Respiratory Therapy (associate degree)
- Respiratory Therapy (online bachelor's)
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Surgical Technology
- Radiologic Technology
- Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Veterinary
- Veterinary Technology
- Veterinary Assisting
Other
- Massage Therapy (Boise, Spokane)
- Health Studies (associate degree)
- Healthcare Administration (online bachelor's)
Campus Locations
Glendale, AZ 6751 N. Sunset Blvd., Ste 330, Glendale, AZ 85305
Mesa, AZ 1001 W. Southern Ave., Ste 130, Mesa, AZ 85210
Phoenix, AZ 2421 W. Peoria Ave., Ste 130, Phoenix, AZ 85029
Tucson, AZ 201 N. Bonita Ave., Ste 101, Tucson, AZ 85745
Antelope Valley (Lancaster), CA 42135 10th St. West, Ste 200, Lancaster, CA 93534
Bakersfield, CA 201 New Stine Rd., Bakersfield, CA 93309
Fresno, CA 295 E. Sierra Ave., Fresno, CA 93710
Modesto (Salida), CA 5380 Pirrone Rd., Salida, CA 95368
Ontario, CA 4580 Ontario Mills Pkwy, Ontario, CA 91764
Pleasant Hill, CA 380 Civic Dr., Ste 300, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
Rancho Cordova, CA 11000 Olson Dr., Ste 100, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
Rancho Mirage, CA 34275 Monterey Ave., Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Sacramento, CA 8909 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95826
San Jose, CA 5883 Rue Ferrari, Ste 125, San Jose, CA 95138
San Leandro, CA 15555 E. 14th St., Ste 500, San Leandro, CA 94578
Santa Maria, CA 303 Plaza Dr., Santa Maria, CA 93454
Stockton, CA 1313 W. Robinhood Dr., Ste B, Stockton, CA 95207
Temecula, CA 27270 Madison Ave., Ste 103, Temecula, CA 92590
Victor Valley (Hesperia), CA 9331 Mariposa Rd., Hesperia, CA 92344
Visalia, CA 8344 W. Mineral King Ave., Visalia, CA 93291
Boise, ID 1299 N. Orchard St., Boise, ID 83706
Las Vegas, NV 5740 S. Eastern Ave., Ste 140, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Reno, NV 5580 Kietzke Ln., Reno, NV 89511
Albuquerque, NM 1001 Menaul Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107
Portland, OR 1052 96th Ave. SE, Portland, OR 97216
Spokane, WA 10102 E. Knox Ave., Ste 200, Spokane, WA 99206