Faster way to become a nurse than community college and 4 year university?

Did you take the SAT or ACT? If so, you don't need to go to community college first; you can apply directly to a university BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program, such as the one at CSU Fullerton. If not (and if you don't intend to take it) then there is the community college option. This might end up being the least expensive, because community college tuition is generally less than state university tuition. Also, please realize that you do not need to hold a bachelors degree to be an RN: either a bachelors or an associates degree entitles you to sit for the RN certification; nor does the bachelors degree qualify you for any additional duties that cannot be performed by an associates degree nurse. While BSNs might have better promotion potential than associates degree RNs, if time is of the essence you should get the associates degree now, then take an RN to BSN completion degree at some point in the future. Community college programs usually require students to take a semester's worth (at least) of prerequisite classes, and then apply competitively to the nursing school. So it will run you more than the two years most associates degrees take, but probably less time than your typical bachelors degree. Check out Los Angeles City College. If you have money to burn, some career colleges might have an associates or bachelors degree nursing class that you can attend without selective admissions, but expect this to cost a fortune compared to community college and state university tuition. E.g. Kaplan College San Diego.

You do not seem to realize that most of the courses you take at the community college apply towards your bachelors degree. If you take all the right courses in community college for 2 years, you then go to the university for only 2 more years for your bachelors degree.

You do not seem to realize that most of the courses you take at the community college apply towards your bachelors degree. If you take all the right courses in community college for 2 years, you then go to the university for only 2 more years for your bachelors degree.

You can qualify to sit for the NCLEX RN exam after completing a two-year community college nursing program. The BSN-RN program at a university takes four years. The BSN-RN usually leads to better paying jobs and promotional opportunities.