Best Nursing Schools Near Washington, DC (2026)

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

Washington, District of Columbia has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $19,405 to $54,630 per year for indexed programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $223,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Washington

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

Howard University

Washington, DC 1.2 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 41%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,066
Avg net price $50,539/yr
Tuition
In‑state$35,810
Out‑of‑state$35,810
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Trinity Washington University

Washington, DC 1.7 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
51.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 100%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,804
Avg net price $9,302/yr
Tuition
In‑state$26,610
Out‑of‑state$26,610
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

George Washington University

Washington, DC 1.8 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,873
Avg net price $36,586/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 194

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Saint Michael College of Allied Health

Washington, DC 1.9 miles from Washington
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
37.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 75%
Graduation rate 84%
Avg net price $38,751/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,405
Out‑of‑state$19,405
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:Accreditor: Council on Occupational EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC 2.2 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,250
Avg net price $29,561/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 93

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Georgetown University

Washington, DC 3.1 miles from Washington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 13%
Graduation rate 95%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $103,494
Avg net price $40,815/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,017
Out‑of‑state$68,017
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 128

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing Wages Near Washington

Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $102,710 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $94,316
Licensed Practical Nurse $75,860 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $69,660
Nurse Anesthetist $223,150 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $204,913
Nurse Midwife $149,170 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $136,979
Nurse Practitioner $134,840 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $123,820
Nursing Assistant $45,730 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $41,993

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.

Washington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 672,079 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $106,287 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 63.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in District of Columbia County 33,363 workers, 377 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Washington-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Washington, DC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Washington. The closest is Howard University in Washington, DC (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The Catholic University of America (2.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Washington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Washington are: Nurse Anesthetist ($223,150), Nurse Midwife ($149,170), Nurse Practitioner ($134,840). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?

Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington 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 Washington an affordable place to study nursing?

Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia 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 Washington

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

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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