Begin your path toward a meaningful healthcare career with our Vocational Nursing (VN) program in South San Francisco, California, an accelerated, flexible option designed for busy students eager to advance their future. Whether you choose the full-time day program and complete your training in as little as 12 months or prefer the evening schedule completed in as few as 20 months, you’ll experience a career-focused curriculum that blends hands-on training, simulation practice, and engaging classroom instruction. Students train entirely on campus with no online coursework, developing practical nursing skills through dedicated skills labs, simulation-based training, and supervised clinical experiences that reflect real healthcare environments. Supported by dedicated NCLEX preparation and faculty committed to your success, you’ll gain the essential skills and clinical confidence to deliver compassionate patient care and step into the workforce as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN).
TWO FLEXIBLE PATHWAYS
Choose the schedule that works best for you with full-time day and part-time evening program options.
CAREER-FOCUSED TRAINING
South San Francisco VN Graduate Placement Rate 85%*
BVNPT Accredited
This program is approved by the California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT).
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What you'll learn.
The South San Francisco VN program prepares you to step into the workforce ready to deliver safe, skilled, and compassionate patient care as a Licensed Vocational Nurse. By graduation, you’ll be equipped to perform essential nursing duties, such as gathering patient information, monitoring vital signs, administering medications, and supporting care teams across a variety of clinical settings. Through hands-on lab work, immersive clinical rotations, and focused NCLEX-PN preparation, you’ll build the technical skills, clinical judgment, and confidence needed to contribute meaningfully to patient care from your very first day on the job.
Deliver basic, compassionate nursing care across diverse patient populations
Record medical histories and document essential health information
Measure vital signs and perform key diagnostic observations
Identify and report adverse reactions to medications or treatments
Collaborate with patients, families, and community partners to support holistic care
Promote health education, awareness, and best practices in vocational nursing
Admissions Requirements for the South San Francisco VN Program
Applying to the South San Francisco VN program is clear and easy, helping you move confidently into your nursing education.
Submit proof of your high school diploma or equivalent to start
Complete the Unitek VN prerequisite course within 12 months of start date
Finish your background check during the prerequisite course
Meet with the Program Director for a goal-focused admissions interview
Work with our financial aid team to explore funding options and finalize your plan
Enroll in classes and begin your journey toward becoming a Vocational Nurse
Vocational Nursing Program with a Career-Driven Curriculum
The goal of our VN program is to empower you with the knowledge, confidence, and real-world experience needed to earn your licensure and step boldly into an entry-level nursing role. To support your success, we’ve created an immersive learning environment that mirrors the pace and professionalism of today’s healthcare settings. Our classrooms foster focused learning with individual desks, whiteboards, and projection technology, while our fully equipped skills and simulation labs feature hospital-grade patient stations, IV poles, enteral feeding pumps, blood pressure cuffs, scales, and adult and pediatric mannequins—giving you the space to practice essential procedures and build true clinical readiness.
Core nursing subjects
Nursing Fundamentals – Theory
Nursing Fundamentals – Clinical/Skills
Introduction to Pharmacology
Medical-Surgical – Theory
Medical-Surgical – Clinical
Maternal and Newborn Care
Pediatric Nursing
Professional Development
By the time I finished at Unitek, I scheduled and took my NCLEX within a month. I passed on my first time, all thanks to Unitek.
Almoss M.Unitek College Graduate
I really appreciate the care and effort that was put in by Career Services. Towards the end of the program, I was beginning to feel some doubts about getting a job, but the whole process (with mock interviews) made me feel a lot more confident.
Victoria G.Unitek College Graduate
South San Francisco Campus Amenities for Vocational Nursing Students
At Unitek College in South San Francisco, Vocational Nursing students study in an environment designed to support both classroom learning and hands-on clinical training. The campus offers modern classrooms, dedicated nursing labs, and supportive study spaces where students can build the knowledge and technical skills needed for patient care.
Classroom learning environment
Instruction at the South San Francisco campus blends lecture-based teaching with active learning strategies that encourage student engagement. Faculty incorporate individual assignments, group activities, and presentations that help reinforce important nursing concepts while supporting different learning styles. These instructional methods allow students to participate actively in the learning process while developing critical thinking and communication skills essential to nursing practice.
Classroom learning environment
Instruction at the South San Francisco campus blends lecture-based teaching with active learning strategies that encourage student engagement. Faculty incorporate individual assignments, group activities, and presentations that help reinforce important nursing concepts while supporting different learning styles. These instructional methods allow students to participate actively in the learning process while developing critical thinking and communication skills essential to nursing practice.
Simulation and skills labs
Students practice clinical procedures in nursing skills and simulation labs designed to replicate real patient care environments. Training areas include patient care units equipped with hospital beds, nightstands, overbed tables, and privacy curtains that simulate clinical settings. Labs are stocked with simulated oxygen and suction systems, portable suction units, oxygen tanks, vital sign equipment, and mobility devices such as wheelchairs and walkers. Students work with Laerdal basic, mid-fidelity, and high-fidelity manikins that support realistic patient care simulations. Additional training models include half-torso simulators for nasogastric tube insertion, diabetic foot models that illustrate common complications, wound care models, and maternity simulators such as the Laerdal Sim-Mom or Gaumard Noelle birthing manikin.
Student learning and collaboration spaces
The South San Francisco campus also provides computer labs, study areas, and student lounge spaces that support both independent study and collaborative learning. These spaces give students a place to review course materials, prepare assignments, and work together with classmates throughout the Vocational Nursing program.
Campus Location
Located just off the Junipero Serra Freeway and minutes from major healthcare partners—including two nearby Kaiser Permanente facilities—the South San Francisco campus sits in a prime position for students seeking strong clinical connections and convenient commuting options. The immediate area offers easy access to everyday essentials, with Costco, Trader Joe’s, local eateries, long-term care facilities, and physicians’ offices all close by, while the campus itself combines vintage architectural charm with modern nursing labs, technology, and student amenities. Beyond the campus, South San Francisco provides quick connectivity to the wider Bay Area through BART and sits only minutes from San Francisco, offering scenic peninsula views, a mild coastal climate, and nearby shopping destinations like Serramonte and Tanforan. It’s a vibrant and accessible setting that enhances both your educational experience and your life outside the classroom.
South San Francisco Campus
257 Longford Drive #5
South San Francisco, CA 94080
At our South San Francisco campus, you can complete the full-time day program in as little as 12 months. We also offer a part-time evening schedule, typically completed in as little as 20 months, giving you flexibility to balance school with work and family responsibilities.
Tuition varies based on your schedule and personal financial situation. Our Admissions and Financial Aid teams will walk you through the full cost breakdown, covering available financial aid options, scholarships, grants, and payment plans for those who qualify, so you can plan with confidence.
The South San Francisco VN program prepares you to take the NCLEX-PN exam, the required step to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in California. NCLEX preparation is integrated throughout the curriculum to help you feel confident and ready for exam day.
The South San Francisco campus serves students from across the Peninsula and greater Bay Area, including South San Francisco, Daly City, San Bruno, Pacifica, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Brisbane, and surrounding communities throughout San Mateo County.
South San Francisco students benefit from modern skills and simulation labs, computer centers, study spaces, and a comfortable student lounge. You’ll also have access to faculty mentorship, tutoring support, NCLEX-PN preparation resources, and comprehensive career services, including interview preparation.
The VN program prepares you for entry-level practice as a Licensed Vocational Nurse, qualified to provide direct patient care under the supervision of RNs and physicians. If your long-term goal is to become a Registered Nurse (RN), you can continue your education through our BSN program, which offers broader training and prepares graduates for RN licensure and expanded career opportunities.
We offer both day and night cohorts every year for our Vocational Nursing program. For more information, please reach out to our admissions department and speak with a campus representative.
At our South San Francisco campus, you can complete the full-time day program in as little as 12 months. We also offer a part-time evening schedule, typically completed in as little as 20 months, giving you flexibility to balance school with work and family responsibilities.
Tuition varies based on your schedule and personal financial situation. Our Admissions and Financial Aid teams will walk you through the full cost breakdown, covering available financial aid options, scholarships, grants, and payment plans for those who qualify, so you can plan with confidence.
The South San Francisco VN program prepares you to take the NCLEX-PN exam, the required step to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) in California. NCLEX preparation is integrated throughout the curriculum to help you feel confident and ready for exam day.
The South San Francisco campus serves students from across the Peninsula and greater Bay Area, including South San Francisco, Daly City, San Bruno, Pacifica, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Brisbane, and surrounding communities throughout San Mateo County.
South San Francisco students benefit from modern skills and simulation labs, computer centers, study spaces, and a comfortable student lounge. You’ll also have access to faculty mentorship, tutoring support, NCLEX-PN preparation resources, and comprehensive career services, including interview preparation.
The VN program prepares you for entry-level practice as a Licensed Vocational Nurse, qualified to provide direct patient care under the supervision of RNs and physicians. If your long-term goal is to become a Registered Nurse (RN), you can continue your education through our BSN program, which offers broader training and prepares graduates for RN licensure and expanded career opportunities.
We offer both day and night cohorts every year for our Vocational Nursing program. For more information, please reach out to our admissions department and speak with a campus representative.
Get started today!
Complete this form and our Admissions department will contact you shortly with more information.
*These placement rates are based on program-specific and campus-specific data reported to our institutional accreditor(s) in 2024. While the figures shown here are not separately reported to our accreditor, they are derived from those outcomes. For full details by program and campus, please visit our Disclosures page.
*Please note that wage data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) or other third-party sources may not be an accurate reflection of all areas of the country, may not account for the employees’ years of experience, and may not reflect the wages or outlook of entry-level employees, such as graduates of our program (accessed on 3/16/2026).
