Best Online Nursing Programs in Cedar Falls, IA (2026)

Cedar Falls, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $5,304 to $13,993 per year for indexed programs. Cedar Falls has a population of about 40,662. Median household income is $74,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Iowa, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $273,070 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Cedar Falls

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

#1

Allen College

Waterloo, IA 5.8 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 93.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,261
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Ellsworth Community College

Iowa Falls, IA 41.4 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 50.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,562
Avg net price $11,451/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Marshalltown Community College

Marshalltown, IA 42.8 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 59.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,010
Avg net price $8,059/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northeast Iowa Community College

Calmar, IA 53.4 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 56.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,306
Avg net price $11,272/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,780
Out‑of‑state$7,770
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

North Iowa Area Community College

Mason City, IA 56.1 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 57.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,462
Avg net price $10,010/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,653
Out‑of‑state$9,551
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA 58.3 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 56.3
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,016
Avg net price $9,705/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA 77.2 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 73.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,762
Avg net price $22,531/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, IA 81.7 miles from Cedar Falls BOC Score 50.0
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,018
Avg net price $11,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Nursing Wages Near Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA metro area (BLS area code 47940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$76,920Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$88,312
Licensed Practical Nurse$59,950Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$68,829
Nurse Anesthetist$273,070IA statewide$313,513
Nurse Midwife$131,360IA statewide$150,815
Nurse Practitioner$126,330Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$145,040
Nursing Assistant$38,930Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA$44,696

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.


Cedar Falls at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,662Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$74,165Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Black Hawk County2,608 workers, 93 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cedar Falls-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Cedar Falls, IA?

Accredited schools offering nursing programs near Cedar Falls 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 Cedar Falls?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Cedar Falls are: Nurse Anesthetist ($273,070), Nurse Midwife ($131,360), Nurse Practitioner ($126,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Waterloo instead of Cedar Falls?

Waterloo, IA is 5.5 miles from Cedar Falls 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 Cedar Falls an affordable place to study nursing?

Cedar Falls’s median household income of $74,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cedar Falls while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Cedar Falls

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

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 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.