Objective To analyze caring ability and its associated factors among baccalaureate nursing students, so as to put forward suggestions for improving students’ caring ability. Methods A cross-sectional study was used to investigate baccalaureate nursing students’ caring ability and its associated factors in 4 nursing departments of medical universities in Sichuan province. Results The grade of overall status quo of students’ caring ability was 189.72±19.57, and the mean item scores of different subscales showed that patience was highest and courage was lowest.Two variablescould explain the differences in baccalaureate nursing students’ caring ability: relationship with mother and clinical practice. Conclusion Our study suggests that students’ caring ability could be improved by practicing caring and increasing their exposure to clinical practice. Our findings also suggest that school, society and family are all involved in the cultivation of caring ability.