Best Nursing Schools Near Opelika, AL (2026)

Opelika, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $5,100 to $34,922 per year for indexed programs. Opelika has a population of about 35,005. In Alabama, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $190,300 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Opelika

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Opelika, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Opelika city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Opelika. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 7.8 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
76.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,337
Avg net price $24,323/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee, AL 25.1 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,641
Avg net price $35,013/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Auburn University at Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 50.9 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,391
Avg net price $13,224/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,700
Out‑of‑state$20,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

South University-Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 53.7 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
18.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $27,807/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,145
Out‑of‑state$18,145
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 43%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Troy University

Troy, AL 68.6 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,062
Avg net price $16,527/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL 83.3 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,235
Avg net price $14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Samford University

Birmingham, AL 98.9 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,469
Avg net price $32,622/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 100.9 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,501
Avg net price $18,749/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama nursing page.


Nursing Wages Near Opelika

Opelika is part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area (BLS area code 12220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$78,040Auburn-Opelika, AL$88,783
Licensed Practical Nurse$50,630Auburn-Opelika, AL$57,600
Nurse Anesthetist$190,300AL statewide$216,496
Nurse MidwifeN/AAL statewide
Nurse Practitioner$108,500Auburn-Opelika, AL$123,436
Nursing Assistant$35,530Auburn-Opelika, AL$40,421

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Opelika at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Opelika-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Opelika, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Opelika. The closest is Auburn University in Auburn, AL (7.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Columbus State University (27.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Opelika?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Opelika are: Nurse Anesthetist ($190,300), Nurse Practitioner ($108,500), Registered Nurse ($78,040). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Auburn instead of Opelika?

Auburn, AL is 7.5 miles from Opelika and has its own set of local nursing programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Nursing Programs

Other Programs Available in Opelika

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Opelika:

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.