Best Nursing Schools Near Berkeley, CA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Berkeley, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Berkeley has a population of about 120,223. Median household income is $108,558 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 75.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $292,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Berkeley

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Berkeley, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Berkeley 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 Berkeley. 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

Samuel Merritt University

Oakland, CA 3.6 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
99.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $143,238
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 11.6 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,812
Avg net price $41,431/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of California-San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 12.5 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Touro University California

Vallejo, CA 14.7 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $104,805
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, CA 14.9 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,713
Avg net price $35,333/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 15.1 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
78.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,077
Avg net price $12,278/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 19.2 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Solano Community College

Fairfield, CA 26.5 miles from Berkeley
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,170
Avg net price $4,669/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing Wages Near Berkeley

Berkeley is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $186,610 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $161,427
Licensed Practical Nurse $94,310 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $81,583
Nurse Anesthetist $292,410 CA statewide $252,950
Nurse Midwife $212,630 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $183,936
Nurse Practitioner $219,080 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $189,516
Nursing Assistant $56,080 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $48,512

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.

Berkeley at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 120,223 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $108,558 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 75.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 115.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Alameda County 27,527 workers, 465 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Berkeley-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Berkeley, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Berkeley. The closest is Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA (3.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of California-San Francisco (12.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Berkeley?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Berkeley are: Nurse Anesthetist ($292,410), Nurse Practitioner ($219,080), Nurse Midwife ($212,630). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in El Cerrito instead of Berkeley?

El Cerrito, CA is 3.6 miles from Berkeley 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.

Is Berkeley an affordable place to study nursing?

Berkeley’s median household income of $108,558 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Berkeley while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

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 Berkeley

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Nursing Schools in California: Online Programs (2026)