WesternU College of Graduate Nursing

What WesternU College of Graduate Nursing does

WesternU College of Graduate Nursing (CGN) is a constituent college within Western University of Health Sciences, a private, non-profit health sciences university founded in 1977 and headquartered in Pomona, California. CGN operates a single flagship academic program, the Master of Science in Nursing-Entry (MSN-E), built on the institutional philosophy that a master's degree should be the entry point for nursing. The program is ranked No. 45 (tied) in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Nursing Schools: Master's category for the fourth time in five years, and the college has expanded its annual graduating class from 75 to 100 students.

CGN generates revenue primarily through tuition and academic fees, supplemented by recurring federal grant funding from agencies such as HRSA (with grants totaling approximately $6.9M between 2020 and 2022 supporting underrepresented minority nursing students and workforce diversity) and mandatory student health insurance premiums administered through Aetna Student Health. Its go-to-market is admissions-driven, leveraging WesternU's institutional marketing channels including virtual advising sessions, online information request portals, social media presence, and earned media from national rankings. The college is expanding the MSN-E program to a new campus in Lebanon, Oregon in fall 2027 to address rural healthcare and behavioral health nursing shortages in the Pacific Northwest, supported by a clinical rotation partnership with Asante. CGN operates within a broader university ecosystem of 8 colleges and 26 academic programs with over 21,000 alumni.

Name

WesternU College of Graduate Nursing

Legal name

Western University of Health Sciences

Website

https://westernu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

WesternU College of Graduate Nursing is a non-profit graduate nursing school within Western University of Health Sciences, offering a Master of Science in Nursing-Entry (MSN-E) program in Pomona, California, ranked among the top 50 U.S. nursing schools by U.S. News & World Report.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graduate Nursing Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student Health Insurance Plans (University-Sponsored) (FSAIAFAI)

Keywords

• Graduate nursing education
• Master of science nursing
• Nursing degree programs
• Healthcare workforce training
• Nursing school admissions

Headquarters

HQ city

Pomona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition and academic fees for nursing education programs
2. Grant Funding: Federal grant funding from agencies such as HRSA to support underrepresented minority nursing students and enhance nursing workforce diversity
3. Student Health Insurance: Mandatory student health insurance plan administered through Aetna Student Health, with premiums ranging from $2,665 to $6,187 annually depending on program and coverage period

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WesternU College of Graduate Nursing (CGN) delivers graduate-level nursing education through its Master of Science in Nursing-Entry (MSN-E) program, which serves as the entry point for nursing careers at the master's degree level. The program is delivered on-campus at WesternU's Pomona, California location, with planned expansion to Lebanon, Oregon in fall 2027 to address regional nursing shortages in rural healthcare and behavioral health. The college complements instruction with mandatory student health insurance (administered through Aetna Student Health) and behavioral-health counseling services (via Optum).

Product overview

WesternU College of Graduate Nursing operates as a single academic program offering the Master of Science in Nursing-Entry (MSN-E) program. The college's flagship product is its graduate nursing education program, which is designed to serve as the entry point for nursing careers at the master's degree level. The college was awarded a $1.64 million HRSA grant to support underrepresented minority nursing students and enhance nursing workforce diversity in California. The program is expanding with a new campus location in Lebanon, Oregon scheduled for fall 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MSN-E (Master of Science in Nursing-Entry): Master of Science in Nursing-Entry program ranked among U.S. News & World Report's Best Nursing Schools

Products and services

• Master of Science in Nursing-Entry (MSN-E) Program Graduate-level nursing degree program serving as the entry point for nursing careers at the master's degree level; delivered on-campus at WesternU's Pomona, California location and expanding to Lebanon, Oregon. Ranked No. 45 (tied) nationally in U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best Nursing Schools: Master's.
• Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna Student Health / HSAC) Mandatory student health insurance coverage for WesternU students, including MSN-E students, with annual premiums ranging from $5,374 to $6,187 depending on program and coverage period. Administered through Aetna Student Health and brokered by HSAC.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked No. 45 (tied) among nation's 2026 Best Nursing Schools: Master's by U.S. News & World Report
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AsantecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsante partners with Western University of Health Sciences to launch core rotation sites for medical students in southern Oregon, providing clinical education opportunities for students.
• Optum Health / Emotional Wellbeing SolutionsminorOthersWesternU is contracted with Optum Emotional Wellbeing Services (EWS) to provide behavioral health support services including up to six free counseling sessions for students and household members.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: A top-ranked graduate nursing school within a research university offering MSN-Entry and advanced nursing degrees. Highly comparable to CGN as a graduate-entry nursing program with national brand recognition.
• Duke University School of Nursing: Elite graduate nursing school offering MSN pathways including an accelerated MSN for non-nurses. Comparable to CGN in providing graduate-entry nursing education at a research-intensive health sciences institution.
• University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing: Top-ranked graduate nursing program within an Ivy League health system. Comparable to CGN as a master's-entry nursing school leveraging a multi-disciplinary academic medical ecosystem.
• Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing: Graduate nursing school offering MSN Entry and advanced degrees. Comparable to CGN in delivering graduate-level nursing credentials with a focus on leadership and clinical excellence.
• Rush University College of Nursing: Health-sciences-university-based nursing college offering direct-entry MSN programs. Comparable to CGN in being embedded in a multi-college health sciences university and training nurses at the master's level.

Regional players

• UCLA School of Nursing: California-based graduate nursing program with master's entry options. Regional competitor to CGN for California nursing applicants, sharing the same applicant pool and clinical placement market.
• Samuel Merritt University School of Nursing: California-based health sciences university offering MSN-Entry and accelerated nursing programs. Closest regional competitor to CGN, competing for California applicants and clinical placements.
• UCSF School of Nursing: Top-ranked California graduate nursing school with master's entry and advanced practice tracks. Regional competitor to CGN for California applicants with stronger research brand.

Emerging players

• Chamberlain University: Large for-profit nursing school operator with multiple campuses and online options. Comparable to CGN in producing master's-prepared nurses but differentiates through scale and online delivery rather than humanistic on-campus model.
• Frontier Nursing University: Online graduate nursing university specializing in MSN and DNP programs with a focus on rural and underserved communities. Comparable to CGN's rural-health mission but primarily delivered via distance education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cgn_westernu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WesternUofHSciences
• Facebookfacebook.com/WesternUniversityofHealthSciences
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/western-university-of-health-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/westernunews

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WesternU College of Graduate Nursing