Best Online Nursing Programs in San Francisco, CA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

San Francisco, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. San Francisco has a population of about 836,321. Median household income is $141,446 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.1% 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 San Francisco

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near San Francisco. Distances are calculated from San Francisco city center.

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 San Francisco. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

City College of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 2.1 miles from San Francisco BOC Score44.5
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#2

Unitek College

South San Francisco, CA 6.7 miles from San Francisco BOC Score63.9
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#3

Merritt College

Oakland, CA 15.2 miles from San Francisco BOC Score36.6
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#4

Unitek College

Hayward, CA 19.1 miles from San Francisco BOC Score53.5
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#5

Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USD

Concord, CA 27.0 miles from San Francisco BOC Score66.0
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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California nursing page.

Nursing Wages Near San Francisco

San Francisco 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.

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

San Francisco at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population836,321Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,446Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in San Francisco County11,907 workers, 165 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other San Francisco-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near San Francisco, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near San Francisco. The closest is City College of San Francisco in San Francisco, CA (2.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USD (27.0 miles).

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near San Francisco?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near San Francisco 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 Daly City instead of San Francisco?

Daly City, CA is 5.0 miles from San Francisco 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 San Francisco an affordable place to study nursing?

San Francisco’s median household income of $141,446 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Francisco 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 San Francisco

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

Data verified: June 11, 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 Online Nursing Programs in California (2026)

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