| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private health-careers college: campus programs, most degrees blending online general education with on-campus labs and clinicals, plus distance programs |
| Campuses | 6, all in California: San Jose (main), Concord, Fresno, Modesto, Sacramento and Van Nuys |
| Credentials | Certificates, diplomas, associate (A.S., A.O.S.), bachelor’s and master’s degrees |
| Program length | Five weeks (bone densitometry) to 36 months (radiation therapy); vocational nursing 12 months full-time |
| Enrollment | 4,717 students (school’s 2024 report to California’s BPPE) |
| Accreditation | ABHES, continued through 28 February 2028; program approvals or accreditation from BRN, BVNPT, JRCERT, CAAHEP, CAPTE and JRCNMT; CoARC provisional and ACOTE candidacy for two newer programs |
| Federal aid | Yes: Pell Grants, federal loans and Work-Study; also Cal Grant and GI Bill |
| Total cost | $3,908 (bone densitometry) to $150,490.50 (BSN), program totals from program pages, October 2026 |
| Founded / owner | February 2004 in San Mateo; Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts, LLC, a privately held California company based in San Jose |
| Facts checked | 5 October 2026 |
A California health-careers college that began with one ultrasound program
Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts opened in San Mateo in February 2004 with an ultrasound technology program. It now teaches nursing, medical imaging and therapy programs at six California campuses. Its school-reported enrollment was 4,717 in 2024. Vocational nursing is taught at five campuses and awaits BVNPT approval at Van Nuys; the RN, radiologic technology, ultrasound and therapy-assistant degrees are taught at only some campuses.
Recent changes: the San Mateo campus closed in December 2023, when the main campus moved to San Jose. Since then Gurnick has added a BSN at San Jose (first cohort September 2025), PTA and cardiac ultrasound at Fresno, and a Master in Occupational Therapy at San Jose (February 2026). A December 2025 Sacramento County notice describes a Gurnick plan for a “medical school with 220 students” on Cal Center Drive; we could not confirm whether it will replace or add to the current campus.
Programs at Gurnick’s six campuses
Totals are full-program costs from Gurnick’s program pages as listed in October 2026; the pages give no effective dates except where shown. “Where” lists the campuses named on Gurnick’s campus pages and in its catalog.
| Program | Credential | Length | Where | Prepares for | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocational Nurse | Diploma | 12 months full-time or 18 months part-time; 1,530 hours | All six (Van Nuys awaiting BVNPT approval) | NCLEX-PN, California LVN license | $40,426 to $42,873 by campus, prerequisite included |
| A.S. in Vocational Nursing | A.S. | 8 months; 33 credits of online general education | All six, online | Degree completion for LVN graduates | $20,405 (January 2027 start) |
| A.S. in Nursing (ADN) | A.S. | 23 months; 1,785 hours | Fresno | NCLEX-RN | $104,400.40 |
| LVN-to-RN | A.S. (advanced placement) | 8 months; 25 credits | Fresno | NCLEX-RN (California LVN license and a year of experience required) | $74,700 |
| BSN | B.S. | 32 months; 2,505 hours | Concord, San Jose | NCLEX-RN | $150,490.50 |
| LVN-to-BSN | B.S. | 15 months; 63 credits | Concord, San Jose | NCLEX-RN | $117,639.50 |
| RN-to-BSN | B.S. | 12 months; online | Concord (distance) | Degree completion for RNs | $10,898 |
| X-Ray Technician with Medical Assistant Skills | Diploma | 12 months; 1,137 hours | Concord, Sacramento, Van Nuys | California limited permit X-ray exam | $30,422 |
| Radiologic Technology (Track A / Track B) | A.S. | 24 months; 2,657 / 2,449 hours | Concord, Sacramento / Van Nuys | ARRT (R), California CRT | $76,181.80 / $74,437.75 |
| MRI | A.S. | 18 months; 1,886 hours; online lectures | Modesto, Sacramento, San Jose | ARMRIT registry | $45,105 to $57,985 by clinical location |
| General Ultrasound | A.O.S. | 24 months; 2,386 hours | Fresno, Sacramento, San Jose | ARDMS | $70,758 |
| Cardiac Ultrasound | A.O.S. | 18 months; 1,792 hours | Fresno, Sacramento, San Jose | ARDMS RDCS, CCI RCS | $61,144 |
| Vascular Ultrasound | A.O.S. | 18 months; 2,032 hours | San Jose | ARDMS RVT, ARRT (VS), CCI RVS | $61,300 |
| Nuclear Medicine | A.S. | 24 months; 2,646 hours; distance | Concord (distance) | NMTCB CNMT, ARRT (N) | $64,621.50 California residents, $56,750 others |
| Radiation Therapy | B.S. | 36 months; 3,100 hours; distance | Van Nuys (distance) | ARRT (T), California license | $85,795 |
| Bone Densitometry (DXA) | Certificate | 5 weeks; 56 hours | Sacramento | California bone densitometry permit | $3,908 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | A.S. | 18 months; 1,881 hours; daytime | San Jose, Fresno | NPTE-PTA | $61,668.50 San Jose; $42,978.20 Fresno |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | A.S. | 21 months; 1,770 hours; hybrid | San Jose | NBCOT COTA, only after ACOTE accreditation | $52,021 |
| Respiratory Therapy | A.O.S. | 19 months; 1,446 hours | Modesto (the program page also lists Concord) | NBRC exams | $61,510 |
| Medical Assistant | Certificate | 8 months; 948.5 hours with externship | Concord, Modesto | NHA CCMA and CET | $14,477.50 |
| Dental Assistant | Certificate | About 34.5 weeks | Modesto (confirm it is enrolling) | Infection Control, Coronal Polishing and Radiation Safety certificates | $14,855.50 (2024 BPPE report) |
| IV Therapy and Blood Withdrawal | Continuing education | 36 hours | Concord, Fresno, Modesto, Sacramento, San Jose | BVNPT IV certification for licensed LVNs | $433 to $496 |
Most associate and bachelor’s programs put general education online and keep labs and clinicals on campus; clinical sites are arranged by the school. The MRI, nuclear medicine and radiation therapy programs are taught at a distance, with clinical rotations that can be outside California: MRI and nuclear medicine list sites in states including Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Nevada and Texas, and radiation therapy in California and the Phoenix area. Gurnick also lists a degree-completion B.S. in Radiologic Sciences and a BSN-to-MSN, both by distance through Concord.
What the main programs cover
Vocational Nurse
The diploma is 1,530 hours, 576 of theory and 954 of clinical practice and skills lab, over 48 weeks full-time or 18 months part-time. Full-time day classes run about 9 am to 3 pm; full-time and part-time evening classes run 5 to 10 pm. Before the core program, students take Essential Medical Bioscience, an 80-hour prerequisite course. Applicants must be at least 17 to start and 18 by the start of the core program. Graduates sit the NCLEX-PN for a California LVN license, and can then add the online A.S. in Vocational Nursing (33 credits of general education).
RN programs
The Fresno A.S. in Nursing runs 90 weeks, with 900 of its 1,785 hours in clinical rotations. The BSN runs 32 months and 120 semester credits, with 1,080 clinical and lab hours. LVNs can shorten either route: the LVN-to-RN option at Fresno is 33 weeks with 472.5 clinical and lab hours, and the LVN-to-BSN at Concord and San Jose is 63 weeks. The ADN and BSN require a TEAS VII score of at least 64%, a 2.5 GPA, an interview, an essay, three recommendation letters and a background check.
Radiologic technology and X-ray technician
The A.S. in Radiologic Technology takes 96 weeks either way. Track A, at Concord and Sacramento, has 141 quarter credits and 1,712 clinical hours; Track B, at Van Nuys, has 135 credits and 1,504 clinical hours and offers day or evening sections. Graduates sit the ARRT radiography exam and apply for California’s CRT. The shorter X-Ray Technician with Medical Assistant Skills diploma is 48 weeks and 1,137 hours, with 600 clinical hours, and leads to a California limited permit rather than ARRT registration. Its classes can be scheduled between 8 am and 10:30 pm on any day of the week.
Ultrasound
The general ultrasound A.O.S. covers abdominal-extended and OB/GYN sonography in 96 weeks, 139.5 quarter credits and 2,386 hours, 960 of them clinical. The cardiac program (72 weeks, 800 clinical hours) prepares for the ARDMS RDCS and CCI RCS credentials, and the vascular program at San Jose (72 weeks, 960 clinical hours) for ARDMS RVT, ARRT vascular sonography and CCI RVS.
MRI and nuclear medicine
The A.S. in MRI teaches lectures online and adds 1,020 clinical hours over 48 weeks, for 1,886 hours in total; it prepares for the ARMRIT registry and admits applicants by a points system. Nuclear medicine is fully distance, 96 weeks and 2,646 hours with 1,232 clinical hours, and prepares for the NMTCB and ARRT nuclear medicine exams. In both, the cost depends on where the student does clinicals or whether they live in California.
Physical and occupational therapy assistant
The PTA program is 72 weeks of daytime study, 114 quarter credits and 1,881 hours with 744 in clinical placements, and leads to the NPTE and California’s jurisprudence exam (Cal-JAM). The OTA program at San Jose is a hybrid 84-week program of 112 quarter credits and 1,770 hours, with 120 hours of Level I and 680 of Level II fieldwork. PTA admits the top 20 applicants plus alternates, OTA the top 20.
Cost and paying for it
Gurnick publishes a total price for each program. Examples from program pages in October 2026: Medical Assistant $14,477.50; X-Ray Technician with Medical Assistant Skills $30,422; Vocational Nurse $40,426 to $42,873 depending on campus, including the $1,700 prerequisite; General Ultrasound $70,758; A.S. in Nursing $104,400.40; and BSN $150,490.50. These are higher than the costs the school gave California’s Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) in its 2024 report, for example $38,013 for vocational nursing, $97,810 for the ADN and $143,200 for the BSN. Niche lists an average net price of $30,975 a year from federal data, and Gurnick has a net price calculator.
Gurnick takes federal aid: Pell Grants, FSEOG, Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and PLUS loans, Federal Work-Study and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. In its 2024 BPPE report, 69% of students had federal loans and the three-year loan default rate was 0. California students can use Cal Grant A, B or C. The school also points to private loans (Sallie Mae, College Ave) and offers payment plans. Gurnick is approved for the GI Bill and reported $2,015,789 in veterans’ benefits received in 2024. Its financial aid page names no school scholarships with amounts.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants need a high school diploma or GED, official transcripts and an information session, and most programs require the CCAT entrance exam. The ADN and BSN add the TEAS VII and the requirements listed above, and several programs pick the strongest applicants: PTA and OTA take the top 20, MRI uses a points system, and radiation therapy requires an essay and interview. Niche shows a 100% acceptance rate, but for these programs admission is competitive. Niche’s Fresno page lists a $100 application fee. The San Jose campus is approved to enroll international students.
Vocational nursing has full-time day, full-time evening and part-time evening sections; Radiologic Technology Track B has day and evening sections; medical assisting is blended, Monday to Friday; PTA is daytime only. The next listed start for the Fresno A.S. in Nursing is 3 May 2027.
Accreditation and published results
Gurnick has been accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) since December 2009; ABHES granted continued accreditation in February 2022 through 28 February 2028. California’s BPPE approves it to operate (institution code 41500761), and in its 2024 report the school answered that it had no final disciplinary action from an accreditor that year. We found no lawsuits, settlements or BPPE disciplinary actions. Programmatic approval and accreditation:
- Vocational nursing: California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT), except Van Nuys, still pending
- ADN, LVN-to-RN, BSN, LVN-to-BSN: California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN)
- Radiologic technology (Concord, Sacramento, Van Nuys) and radiation therapy: JRCERT
- Ultrasound: CAAHEP, listed for general sonography at Sacramento and San Jose (the catalog adds Fresno) and for cardiac at Sacramento
- PTA: CAPTE, San Jose and Fresno, through 30 June 2030; nuclear medicine: JRCNMT
- Respiratory therapy: CoARC provisional accreditation; OTA: ACOTE candidacy
First-time NCLEX-PN pass rates by campus, calendar years, with the number of testers (BVNPT file updated 13 February 2026). Van Nuys does not appear.
| Campus | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concord | 90% (125) | 91% (162) | 83% (168) |
| Fresno | 92% (143) | 88% (140) | 85% (257) |
| Modesto | 85% (191) | 87% (232) | 78% (262) |
| Sacramento | – | 88% (92) | 85% (108) |
| San Jose | 91% (45) | 93% (54) | 89% (35) |
For RN licensure, the Board of Registered Nursing’s first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates for Fresno’s ADN were 77.78% in 2022/23, 92.78% in 2023/24 and 89.58% in 2024/25, and for Concord’s BSN 87.76%, 78.57% and 93.41% (July to June years). In radiography, California’s Radiologic Health Branch reported 2023 ARRT pass rates of 100% at Sacramento (28 testers), 88.2% at Van Nuys (51) and 81.5% at Concord (27).
Gurnick’s 2024 BPPE annual report gives these school-reported figures for all campuses combined, with completion meaning finishing on time. We leave out vocational nursing, whose 2024 figures repeat the 2023 ones exactly.
| Program | On-time completion | Placement | Exam pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.S. in Nursing (ADN) | 92.59% | 74.23% | NCLEX-RN 92.86% (91 of 98) |
| BSN | 83.9% | 72.45% | NCLEX-RN 84.62% (77 of 91) |
| A.S. in Radiologic Technology | 92.73% | 76.47% | ARRT 86.27% (44 of 51) |
| X-Ray Technician with MA Skills | 53% | 72.58% | 83.93% (47 of 56) |
| MRI | 78.42% | 71.56% | None reported |
| General Ultrasound | 75.76% | 76% | None reported |
| Vascular Ultrasound | 52.94% | 77.78% | – |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | 88.89% | 75% | NPTE 50% (8 of 16) |
| Nuclear Medicine | 76.92% | 75% | 75% (15 of 20) |
| Radiation Therapy | 90% | 77.78% | ARRT 66.67% (6 of 9) |
| Medical Assistant | 32.58% | 64% | – |
| Dental Assistant | 59.09% | 64.71% | – |
| Bone Densitometry | 21.95% | 73.68% | 64.29% (9 of 14) |
| Respiratory Therapy | No graduates yet | – | – |
The PTA program page gives its own San Jose figures: a first-time NPTE pass rate of 60% for 2024 and 50% for 2025, and ultimate pass rates of 86.7% and 83.3%.
Before you enroll
- Two programs are not yet fully accredited. The OTA program has ACOTE candidacy only, and its graduates can sit the NBCOT exam only after ACOTE accredits it; the first class graduates in 2027. Respiratory therapy has CoARC provisional accreditation and had no graduates in the 2024 BPPE report.
- Some results are weak. San Jose’s PTA students passed the NPTE at 50% on the first try in 2025, and the 2025 ultimate rate of 83.3% is below the 85% CAPTE expects. Only 32.58% of medical assistant students finished on time in 2024 (BPPE), and 21.95% in bone densitometry.
- Check that your program is enrolling at your campus. Van Nuys vocational nursing still awaits BVNPT approval, and Dental Assistant is in the catalog for Modesto but not on the website’s program menu.
- Most prices on program pages carry no effective date, and most are higher than the 2024 BPPE figures. Get the total for your start date in your enrollment agreement.
- The BSN pages name approval by the Board of Registered Nursing but no CCNE or ACEN nursing accreditation. If you plan a graduate nursing degree elsewhere, ask that school whether this matters.
Career help and facilities
Gurnick’s career services office runs professional-development and résumé workshops, one-on-one coaching and mock interviews with community employers, brings in employer speakers, and has a job platform, Gurnick Edge, where employers can see student profiles. The school does not mention housing. San Jose has a 40,000 sq ft building with nine labs and a nursing simulation suite, and Fresno a simulation center.
What students say
Niche’s main Gurnick Academy page had 107 reviews and a 3.51 out of 5 average when checked in October 2026. Reviewers most often praise supportive, approachable instructors, the hands-on labs, simulation and clinical rotations, and the student community. The most common complaints are high tuition and strict payment policies, an accelerated pace that leaves some students unsure they are ready for licensing exams, and small facilities with limited resources such as printers and the library. We saw no sign that the reviews were invited by the school or posted in a burst; they run to at least February 2025. Niche’s separate Fresno page (4.61 from 18 reviews) and Trustpilot (3 reviews) have too few reviews to summarize.
Sources
Checked October 2026: 2025–2026 catalog · Accreditation and approvals · BPPE 2024 annual report · BVNPT NCLEX-PN pass rates · BRN NCLEX-RN pass rates · CDPH X-ray school pass rates · PTA program outcomes · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Vocational Nurse (diploma; Van Nuys pending BVNPT approval)
- A.S. in Vocational Nursing (degree completion for LVN graduates)
- A.S. in Nursing (ADN), Fresno
- A.S. in Nursing, LVN-to-RN advanced placement, Fresno
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Concord and San Jose
- LVN-to-BSN, Concord and San Jose
- RN-to-BSN (online)
- BSN-to-MSN (distance)
- IV Therapy and Blood Withdrawal (for licensed LVNs)
- International Nurse Graduate Courses, Fresno
Medical imaging
- X-Ray Technician with Medical Assistant Skills (diploma)
- A.S. in Radiologic Technology, Track A (Concord, Sacramento) and Track B (Van Nuys)
- A.S. in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
- A.O.S. in General Ultrasound
- A.O.S. in Cardiac Ultrasound
- A.O.S. in Vascular Ultrasound, San Jose
- A.S. in Nuclear Medicine (distance)
- B.S. in Radiation Therapy (distance)
- B.S. in Radiologic Sciences (degree completion, distance)
- Bone Densitometry (DXA), Sacramento
Therapy and respiratory care
- A.S. in Physical Therapist Assistant, San Jose and Fresno
- A.S. in Occupational Therapy Assistant, San Jose (ACOTE candidacy)
- Master in Occupational Therapy, San Jose
- A.O.S. in Respiratory Therapy, Modesto
Allied health certificates
- Medical Assistant, Concord and Modesto
- Dental Assistant, Modesto (in the catalog; confirm it is enrolling)
Campus Locations
San Jose, CA 1641 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95112
Concord, CA 1401 Willow Pass Road, Suite 450, Concord, CA 94520
Fresno, CA 4747 N 1st Street, Suite 192, Fresno, CA 93726
Modesto, CA 4712 Stoddard Road, Suite 200, Modesto, CA 95356
Sacramento, CA 8810 Cal Center Drive, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95826
Van Nuys, CA 15400 Sherman Way, Suite 201, Van Nuys, CA 91406