Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USD
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Nursing Programs in Walnut Creek, CA (2026)
Walnut Creek, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Walnut Creek has a population of about 69,790. Median household income is $135,665 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 69.4% 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 Walnut Creek
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Walnut Creek. Distances are calculated from Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Merritt College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Los Medanos College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Contra Costa Medical Career College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Unitek College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek 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.
Walnut Creek at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 69,790 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $135,665 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 69.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 115.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Contra Costa County | 18,538 workers, 403 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Walnut Creek-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Pleasant Hill, CA – 4.1 mi away (34,853 pop)
- Lafayette, CA – 4.4 mi away (26,103 pop)
- Concord, CA – 5.2 mi away (649,437 pop)
- Danville, CA – 7.3 mi away (44,631 pop)
- Martinez, CA – 7.8 mi away (38,259 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Walnut Creek, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Walnut Creek. The closest is Mt. Diablo Adult Education-Mt. Diablo USD in Concord, CA (5.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Unitek College (17.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Walnut Creek?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Walnut Creek 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 Pleasant Hill instead of Walnut Creek?
Pleasant Hill, CA is 4.1 miles from Walnut Creek 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 Walnut Creek an affordable place to study nursing?
Walnut Creek’s median household income of $135,665 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Walnut Creek 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
- Nursing accreditation: what to look for
- Nursing concentrations and specializations
- Is a Nursing degree worth it?
- Main Nursing degree guide
- Online Nursing programs in California
- Nursing programs by state
Other Programs Available in Walnut Creek
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Walnut Creek:
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Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
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.