City College nursing program ranked as one of the best in the country

Nursing finished No. 3 in the country in latest rncareers.com ranking

Dr.+Erelyn+Vinegas%2C+department+chair+and+associate+profesor%2C+with+nursing+students+in+the+simulation+skills+lab.

Dr. Erelyn Vinegas, department chair and associate profesor, with nursing students in the simulation skills lab. Photo courtesy of City College Nursing

Joel Nevarez, Sports Editor

Correction: An earlier image accompanying this story identified the students pictured as nursing students. They were cosmetology students. The image has since been changed. City Times regrets the errors.

The San Diego City College nursing program is now one of the best in the country. 

City College Is listed as No. 3 in the nation with a state ranking of 2, according to the latest rncareers.org rankings. 

“This is a stellar program,” said Dometrives Armstrong, associate dean of the Nursing Education program. “This program has been around for over 50 years and the faculty is just fabulous.” 

The program also has a high passing rate for the National Council License Examination for Registered Nurses. 

City College finished with an average NCLEX-RN passing rate of 99.50%, higher than the California average of 90.30%. 

“I couldn’t run this department without this team,” Armstrong said. “The credit goes to the people who actually doing the work.” 

For students, the strong reputation of City College is something that draws them to the program.

“The numbers don’t lie,” said Ashley Watson, a second-year nursing student and community health director for the Nursing Student Association. “As a student, you want to make sure that you’re getting the best possible education.” 

According to Armstrong, the program is successful in getting students to go straight into the workforce as well as continuing their education journey. 

“You have to be motivated, you have to be determined and you have to set boundaries in order to complete this nursing program,” Armstrong said.