Best Online Nursing Programs in Santa Rosa, CA (2026)

Santa Rosa, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Santa Rosa has a population of about 177,216. Median household income is $97,410 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.8% 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 Santa Rosa

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Santa Rosa, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, CA 1.0 miles from Santa Rosa BOC Score 60.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,224
Avg net price $6,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Nursing Wages Near Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa is part of the Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA metro area (BLS area code 42220). 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$174,550Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$161,920
Licensed Practical Nurse$92,580Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$85,881
Nurse Anesthetist$292,410CA statewide$271,252
Nurse Midwife$203,840CA statewide$189,091
Nurse Practitioner$167,040Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$154,954
Nursing Assistant$49,240Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$45,677

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.


Santa Rosa at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population177,216Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,410Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)107.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Sonoma County10,737 workers, 199 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Santa Rosa-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Santa Rosa, CA?

Accredited schools offering nursing programs near Santa Rosa are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Santa Rosa?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Santa Rosa are: Nurse Anesthetist ($292,410), Nurse Midwife ($203,840), Registered Nurse ($174,550). 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 Rohnert Park instead of Santa Rosa?

Rohnert Park, CA is 6.8 miles from Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa an affordable place to study nursing?

Santa Rosa’s median household income of $97,410 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.