Best Online Nursing Programs in Traverse City, MI (2026)

Traverse City, Michigan has 3 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $4,320 to $9,674 per year for indexed programs. Traverse City has a population of about 15,491. Median household income is $71,731 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 47.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Michigan, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $247,010 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Traverse City

The 3 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 3 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Traverse City. Distances are calculated from Traverse 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 Traverse City. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City, MI 1.0 miles from Traverse City BOC Score59.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

North Central Michigan College

Petoskey, MI 52.5 miles from Traverse City BOC Score44.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#3

West Shore Community College

Scottville, MI 62.7 miles from Traverse City BOC Score41.8
Published tuition$4,320 - $9,674
Online programs--

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


Nursing Wages Near Traverse City

Traverse City is part of the Traverse City, MI metro area (BLS area code 45900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$83,690Traverse City, MI$89,604
Licensed Practical Nurse$62,260Traverse City, MI$66,660
Nurse Anesthetist$247,010MI statewide$264,465
Nurse Midwife$125,140MI statewide$133,983
Nurse Practitioner$123,910Traverse City, MI$132,666
Nursing Assistant$41,900Traverse City, MI$44,861

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.


Traverse City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population15,491Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$71,731Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+47.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Traverse City-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Traverse City, MI?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Traverse City. The closest is Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, MI (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is West Shore Community College (62.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Traverse City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Traverse City are: Nurse Anesthetist ($247,010), Nurse Midwife ($125,140), Nurse Practitioner ($123,910). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mount Pleasant instead of Traverse City?

Mount Pleasant, MI is 89.9 miles from Traverse 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 Traverse City an affordable place to study nursing?

Traverse City’s median household income of $71,731 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Traverse City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Traverse City

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Traverse 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.