Okaloosa Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Nursing Programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL (2026)
Fort Walton Beach, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $2,348 to $9,718 per year for indexed programs. Fort Walton Beach has a population of about 20,956. Median household income is $66,556 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $215,990 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Nursing Schools to Fort Walton Beach
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Fort Walton Beach. Distances are calculated from Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Radford M Locklin Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Pensacola State College
Published tuition$2,348 - $9,718
Online programsYes
Fortis Institute-Pensacola
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Emerald Coast Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach is part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area (BLS area code 18880). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $81,260 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $83,773 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $59,060 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $60,887 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | $215,990 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $222,670 |
| Nurse Midwife | $127,460 | FL statewide | $131,402 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $124,680 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $128,536 |
| Nursing Assistant | $36,970 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $38,113 |
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.
Fort Walton Beach at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,956 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $66,556 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 27.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.0 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Okaloosa County | 3,814 workers, 56 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Fort Walton Beach-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Crestview, FL – 22.5 mi away (36,433 pop)
- Pensacola, FL – 33.9 mi away (352,187 pop)
- Lynn Haven, FL – 59.9 mi away (20,850 pop)
- Panama City, FL – 61.9 mi away (147,788 pop)
- Prichard, AL – 93.0 mi away (22,185 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Fort Walton Beach, FL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Fort Walton Beach. The closest is Okaloosa Technical College in Fort Walton Beach, FL (3.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Emerald Coast Technical College (36.1 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Fort Walton Beach?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Fort Walton Beach are: Nurse Anesthetist ($215,990), Nurse Midwife ($127,460), Nurse Practitioner ($124,680). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Crestview instead of Fort Walton Beach?
Crestview, FL is 22.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach 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 Fort Walton Beach an affordable place to study nursing?
Fort Walton Beach’s median household income of $66,556 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fort Walton Beach while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Florida
- Nursing programs by state
Other Programs Available in Fort Walton Beach
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Walton Beach:
- Criminal Justice programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Business Administration programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Computer Science programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Psychology programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Education programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Engineering programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Technology programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Liberal Arts programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Healthcare programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Cybersecurity programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Accounting programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Social Work programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
- Counseling programs in Fort Walton Beach, FL
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.