Best Nursing Schools Near Monterey, CA (2026)

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

Monterey, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $1,404 to $26,987 per year for indexed programs. Monterey has a population of about 29,772. Median household income is $104,110 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.4% 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 Monterey

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

Monterey Peninsula College

Monterey, CA 0.3 miles from Monterey
  • 2 year
34.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,176
Avg net price $11,373/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing Wages Near Monterey

Monterey is part of the Salinas, CA metro area (BLS area code 41500). 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 $134,910 Salinas, CA $123,771
Licensed Practical Nurse $80,910 Salinas, CA $74,229
Nurse Anesthetist $292,410 CA statewide $268,266
Nurse Midwife $203,840 CA statewide $187,009
Nurse Practitioner $166,090 Salinas, CA $152,376
Nursing Assistant $48,870 Salinas, CA $44,835

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.

Monterey at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 29,772 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $104,110 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 54.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.0 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Monterey-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Monterey, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Monterey. The closest is Monterey Peninsula College in Monterey, CA (0.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cabrillo College (27.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Monterey?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Monterey are: Nurse Anesthetist ($292,410), Nurse Midwife ($203,840), Nurse Practitioner ($166,090). 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 Seaside instead of Monterey?

Seaside, CA is 4.0 miles from Monterey 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 Monterey an affordable place to study nursing?

Monterey’s median household income of $104,110 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monterey 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 Monterey

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

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.

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