Best Online Nursing Programs in Lake City, FL (2026)

Lake City, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $2,563 to $14,353 per year for indexed programs. Lake City has a population of about 12,404. Median household income is $51,175 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $210,570 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Lake City

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Lake City. Distances are calculated from Lake City 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 Lake City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Florida Gateway College

Lake City, FL 3.1 miles from Lake City BOC Score63.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Riveroak Technical College

Live Oak, FL 21.6 miles from Lake City BOC Score46.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

North Florida Technical College

Starke, FL 35.8 miles from Lake City BOC Score55.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

Santa Fe College

Gainesville, FL 37.4 miles from Lake City BOC Score63.4
Published tuition$2,563 - $14,353
Online programsYes

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#5

Galen Health Institutes-Gainesville

Gainesville, FL 42.0 miles from Lake City BOC Score46.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Nursing Wages Near Lake City

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Florida, statewide)
Registered Nurse$84,190
Licensed Practical Nurse$61,770
Nurse Anesthetist$210,570
Nurse Midwife$127,460
Nurse Practitioner$129,510
Nursing Assistant$37,510

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.


Lake City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population12,404Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,175Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Nursing-related employment in Columbia County747 workers, 28 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lake City-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Lake City, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Lake City. The closest is Florida Gateway College in Lake City, FL (3.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Galen Health Institutes-Gainesville (42.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles in Florida?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles in Florida are: Nurse Anesthetist ($210,570), Nurse Practitioner ($129,510), Nurse Midwife ($127,460). Wages for Lake City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Gainesville instead of Lake City?

Gainesville, FL is 39.5 miles from Lake City 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 Lake City an affordable place to study nursing?

Lake City’s median household income of $51,175 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake City 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

Other Programs Available in Lake City

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

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.