San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Nursing Programs in Wasco, CA (2026)
Wasco, California has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $1,409 to $12,522 per year for indexed programs. Wasco has a population of about 26,222. Median household income is $55,521 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 7.4% 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 Wasco
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Wasco. Distances are calculated from Wasco 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 Wasco. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Bakersfield College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Porterville College
Published tuition$1,409 - $12,522
Online programsYes
College of the Sequoias
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Wasco
Wasco is part of the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area (BLS area code 12540). 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 | $128,810 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $127,661 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $76,130 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $75,451 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | $292,410 | CA statewide | $289,802 |
| Nurse Midwife | $203,840 | CA statewide | $202,022 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $165,580 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $164,103 |
| Nursing Assistant | $46,130 | Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $45,719 |
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.
Wasco at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,222 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $55,521 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 7.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 100.9 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Kern County | 14,558 workers, 212 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Wasco-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Shafter, CA – 12.4 mi away (20,183 pop)
- Delano, CA – 13.3 mi away (54,030 pop)
- Bakersfield, CA – 25.0 mi away (567,585 pop)
- Corcoran, CA – 35.6 mi away (23,266 pop)
- Porterville, CA – 37.5 mi away (76,512 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Wasco, CA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Wasco. The closest is San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield in Bakersfield, CA (23.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia (50.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Wasco?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Wasco are: Nurse Anesthetist ($292,410), Nurse Midwife ($203,840), Nurse Practitioner ($165,580). 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 Shafter instead of Wasco?
Shafter, CA is 12.4 miles from Wasco 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 Wasco an affordable place to study nursing?
Wasco’s median household income of $55,521 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wasco 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 Wasco
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Wasco:
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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.