Westcliff University Expands Healthcare Education Through Pacific College Acquisition
Westcliff University has strengthened its commitment to healthcare education with the acquisition of Pacific College, a private nursing institution with a history dating back to 1993. The strategic move brings together two institutions with a shared focus on career-oriented education, student success and workforce development, creating new opportunities for students pursuing careers in nursing and other healthcare fields.
The partnership is expected to broaden access to nursing education across Southern California while connecting Pacific College students with the wider academic resources, professional networks and innovative learning environment available through Westcliff University. The combined institutions will provide students with flexible educational pathways ranging from entry-level vocational and registered nursing programs to graduate-level opportunities, including preparation for advanced nursing careers such as family nurse practitioners.
The acquisition comes at a significant time for California’s healthcare system. Demand for qualified nurses and other healthcare professionals continues to grow as the state faces ongoing workforce pressures. State health officials have projected that California could require more than 61,000 additional registered nurses by 2033. The shortage highlights the importance of expanding high-quality nursing education and creating accessible pathways that enable students to enter and advance within the healthcare profession.
Westcliff University and Pacific College believe their combined capabilities can play an important role in addressing that challenge. By maintaining Pacific College’s established educational identity while connecting it to a larger university environment, the partnership is designed to preserve the institution’s strengths while creating opportunities for future growth.
Expanding Access to Nursing Education
Pacific College has spent more than three decades developing nursing professionals for healthcare communities throughout Southern California. Founded in 1993, the private nursing school has developed a reputation for providing a personalized educational experience focused on preparing students for professional healthcare careers.
Through the acquisition, Pacific College becomes part of a broader academic community with access to Westcliff University’s range of disciplines, employer relationships, academic resources and institutional expertise. The expanded relationship may also create additional opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, allowing nursing students to benefit from connections with professionals and programs outside of traditional nursing education.
For students, the partnership represents an opportunity to remain connected to the close-knit educational environment associated with Pacific College while gaining access to a larger network of academic and professional resources. Westcliff’s career-focused approach is designed to complement Pacific College’s practical emphasis on healthcare preparation.
The institutions are also expected to explore opportunities for collaboration in areas such as technology-enabled education, clinical training, professional development and employer engagement. These capabilities are increasingly important as healthcare delivery becomes more technologically advanced and employers seek professionals who can combine clinical knowledge with digital and interpersonal skills.
Addressing California’s Nursing Workforce Needs
California’s projected nursing shortage is one of the major factors underscoring the significance of the acquisition. The state’s healthcare organizations require a steady pipeline of qualified nurses to support hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, outpatient centers and other healthcare environments.
Nurses play a central role in delivering patient care, coordinating treatment, educating patients and supporting physicians and other healthcare professionals. As healthcare needs become more complex, nursing professionals are increasingly expected to demonstrate advanced clinical competencies, communication skills, technological knowledge and the ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
Expanding educational capacity can help address these workforce requirements by giving more students access to programs that prepare them for nursing careers. Westcliff University and Pacific College are positioning their partnership as part of that broader effort.
The need extends beyond entry-level nursing. Healthcare organizations also require experienced nurses who can move into advanced practice, leadership, education and specialized clinical roles. By offering educational pathways that extend from vocational and RN programs to graduate-level education, the combined institutions can support students at different stages of their professional development.
Graduate programs, including family nurse practitioner education, can be particularly important in expanding the number of healthcare professionals capable of providing advanced patient services. Such programs can help experienced nurses build additional expertise and pursue roles with greater clinical responsibility.
Building on Westcliff University’s Healthcare Strategy
The acquisition also represents another step in Westcliff University’s broader expansion into healthcare education. The university recently established its own College of Nursing, supported by a modern nursing campus in Corona, California.
The Corona campus features simulation-based clinical training designed to give nursing students opportunities to develop and practice clinical skills in an advanced educational environment. Simulation can allow students to work through realistic scenarios, strengthen decision-making abilities and develop confidence before entering actual clinical settings.
The addition of Pacific College complements this investment by bringing an established nursing institution and experienced faculty community into Westcliff’s growing healthcare education ecosystem.
Rather than building its healthcare portfolio entirely from the ground up, Westcliff is expanding through partnerships and acquisitions involving institutions with established programs and histories. This approach allows the university to combine its resources and innovation capabilities with the expertise and reputation of existing educational organizations.
Westcliff previously demonstrated a similar strategy with its 2020 acquisition of Western State College of Law. According to the university, that acquisition preserved Orange County’s oldest law school while supporting improvements in academic and student outcomes. The Pacific College acquisition reflects a comparable philosophy: recognize and preserve an institution’s existing strengths while providing additional resources for its future development.
Preserving Pacific College’s Legacy
For Pacific College, joining Westcliff University provides an opportunity to build upon more than 30 years of nursing education.
The institution has developed a strong connection with its students, faculty members and healthcare employers. Its focus on nursing education has helped establish a community centered on professional preparation and student achievement.
One notable measure of that performance is Pacific College’s NCLEX-RN pass rate. During the 2024–25 academic year, the college reported a 95.83% NCLEX-RN pass rate, placing it among the strongest-performing nursing programs in California.
The NCLEX-RN is a critical milestone for nursing graduates because successful completion is required for registered nurse licensure in the United States. Strong examination outcomes can therefore serve as an important indicator of how effectively an institution prepares students for professional nursing responsibilities.
Westcliff’s goal is not simply to absorb Pacific College into its existing structure but to build upon the school’s established strengths. Maintaining the college’s student-centered culture and experienced faculty will be important as the institution enters its next phase.
A Focus on Student Success
At the center of the acquisition is the goal of creating stronger educational opportunities for students. Nursing education can be demanding, requiring students to balance academic coursework, laboratory learning, clinical experiences and preparation for professional licensure.
Students benefit from educational institutions that provide both rigorous instruction and comprehensive support. Westcliff’s broader academic infrastructure could provide Pacific College students with additional opportunities for professional development, interdisciplinary learning and career preparation.
The relationship may also give students access to a wider range of academic disciplines. Healthcare increasingly depends on collaboration among nurses, physicians, administrators, technology specialists, data professionals and other experts. Exposure to different fields can help students understand the broader healthcare ecosystem and prepare for increasingly interconnected professional environments.
Technology is another area in which Westcliff intends to add value. The university has emphasized AI-enhanced learning and innovation as components of its educational strategy. As artificial intelligence, digital health tools and data-driven decision-making become more prevalent across healthcare, nursing professionals will increasingly need to understand how technology can support patient care while maintaining safety, privacy and professional judgment.
Integrating technology into nursing education can help students become more comfortable with the tools they may encounter throughout their careers.
Preparing Healthcare Professionals for the Future
The healthcare industry is changing rapidly. Population growth, an aging population, chronic disease, advances in medical technology and changing models of care are all influencing the demand for healthcare professionals.
Nurses are positioned at the center of many of these changes. They work directly with patients, coordinate care across different settings and frequently serve as a bridge between patients, families and healthcare teams.
Preparing nurses for this evolving environment requires more than traditional classroom instruction. Modern nursing education increasingly combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on clinical preparation, simulation, technology and professional development.
The collaboration between Westcliff University and Pacific College is intended to support this broader model of education. By combining Pacific College’s nursing expertise with Westcliff’s university-level resources, the institutions can potentially provide students with a more comprehensive educational experience.
The partnership could also strengthen relationships with healthcare employers. Employer connections are important because nursing students ultimately need to transition successfully from education into professional practice. Career-focused education can help students understand employer expectations and develop the skills required in real-world healthcare environments.
Strengthening Southern California’s Healthcare Workforce
Southern California represents a major healthcare market with hospitals, health systems, outpatient providers, specialty practices, long-term care organizations and other healthcare employers requiring skilled professionals.
Expanding nursing education in the region can therefore have benefits that extend beyond individual students. Graduates who enter the local workforce can help healthcare organizations meet staffing requirements and provide care to communities experiencing growing demand.
The partnership between Westcliff University and Pacific College has the potential to create a larger pipeline of healthcare professionals while maintaining a focus on educational quality and career readiness.
For communities, increasing the availability of qualified nurses can support healthcare access and strengthen the capacity of providers to deliver services. For students, expanded educational pathways can create opportunities for stable and meaningful careers in a sector that continues to require skilled professionals.
Leadership’s Vision for the Partnership
Westcliff University President and CEO Dr. Anthony Lee emphasized the importance of Pacific College’s longstanding relationship with students, faculty and healthcare employers. He described the acquisition as an investment in the future of healthcare education and highlighted the opportunity to respond to California’s workforce challenges.
Lee also pointed to the dedication of Pacific College’s faculty and staff as a major strength. The institution’s established culture and commitment to students are viewed as important assets that Westcliff intends to preserve.
The emphasis on people is significant because successful educational expansion depends not only on facilities and technology but also on faculty expertise, student support and institutional culture. Pacific College’s existing community provides a foundation upon which the combined organization can build.
The acquisition of Pacific College marks an important milestone in Westcliff University’s expansion of healthcare education. It brings together an established nursing school and a university focused on innovative, career-oriented education at a time when healthcare employers are facing significant workforce needs.
By combining Pacific College’s nursing legacy, student-centered approach and strong licensure outcomes with Westcliff University’s broader academic network, technology capabilities and institutional resources, the partnership aims to create new opportunities for current and future healthcare students.
The acquisition also reflects a broader trend in higher education: institutions are increasingly seeking ways to expand workforce-focused programs in fields where employers face persistent shortages. Nursing is particularly important in this context because demand for registered nurses and advanced practice professionals continues to rise.
For Pacific College, the transition provides a pathway to build on its more than three decades of nursing education. For Westcliff University, it strengthens a growing healthcare education portfolio and reinforces its commitment to preparing professionals for careers in high-demand fields.
Ultimately, the partnership’s impact will be measured by its ability to support students, strengthen nursing education and contribute to the healthcare workforce. With California expected to need tens of thousands of additional registered nurses over the coming years, expanding educational capacity is likely to remain a critical priority.
Westcliff University and Pacific College are entering this next chapter with complementary strengths. Their shared focus on student success, professional preparation, innovation and healthcare workforce development provides a foundation for continued growth. As the partnership develops, it could become an important contributor to the preparation of the next generation of nurses and healthcare professionals serving Southern California and beyond.
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