Best Nursing Schools Near Boston, MA (2026)

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

Boston, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Boston has a population of about 663,972. Median household income is $94,755 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Massachusetts, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $295,550 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Boston

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

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 1.5 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northeastern University Professional Programs

Boston, MA 1.5 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

MCPHS University

Boston, MA 1.5 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $125,557
Avg net price $39,545/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Simmons University

Boston, MA 1.6 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,494
Avg net price $25,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Emmanuel College

Boston, MA 1.8 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
66.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,245
Avg net price $26,706/yr
Tuition
In‑state$48,550
Out‑of‑state$48,550
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Massachusetts-Boston

Boston, MA 2.4 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,865
Avg net price $17,707/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Fisher College

Boston, MA 2.6 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,669
Avg net price $26,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

MGH Institute of Health Professions

Boston, MA 4.2 miles from Boston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
97.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $87,130
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing Wages Near Boston

Boston is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $106,180 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $98,042
Licensed Practical Nurse $82,190 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $75,891
Nurse Anesthetist $295,550 MA statewide $272,899
Nurse Midwife $174,870 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $161,468
Nurse Practitioner $147,480 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $136,177
Nursing Assistant $47,590 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $43,943

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.

Boston at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 663,972 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $94,755 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 54.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 108.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Suffolk County 106,832 workers, 196 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Boston-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Boston, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Boston. The closest is Roxbury Community College in Roxbury Crossing, MA (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Simmons University (1.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Boston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Boston are: Nurse Anesthetist ($295,550), Nurse Midwife ($174,870), Nurse Practitioner ($147,480). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cambridge instead of Boston?

Cambridge, MA is 4.3 miles from Boston 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 Boston an affordable place to study nursing?

Boston’s median household income of $94,755 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Boston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Boston

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

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.

Back to Best Nursing Schools in Massachusetts: Online Programs (2026)