Best Online Nursing Programs in Alton, IL (2026)

Alton, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Alton has a population of about 25,430. Median household income is $53,005 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $232,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Alton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Alton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Alton 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 Alton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

CALC Institute of Technology

Alton, IL 1.9 miles from Alton BOC Score 26.5
  • 2 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,088
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Nursing Wages Near Alton

Alton is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 41180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$83,180St. Louis, MO-IL$87,466
Licensed Practical Nurse$65,120St. Louis, MO-IL$68,475
Nurse Anesthetist$232,300St. Louis, MO-IL$244,269
Nurse Midwife$133,330St. Louis, MO-IL$140,200
Nurse Practitioner$131,580St. Louis, MO-IL$138,360
Nursing Assistant$39,110St. Louis, MO-IL$41,125

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.


Alton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,430Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,005Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Madison County5,798 workers, 60 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Alton-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Alton, IL?

Accredited schools offering nursing programs near Alton are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Alton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Alton are: Nurse Anesthetist ($232,300), Nurse Midwife ($133,330), Nurse Practitioner ($131,580). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Edwardsville instead of Alton?

Edwardsville, IL is 11.7 miles from Alton 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 Alton an affordable place to study nursing?

Alton’s median household income of $53,005 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Alton

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.