Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Published tuition$11,691 - $27,592
Online programs--
Best Online Nursing Programs in Cape Girardeau, MO (2026)
Cape Girardeau, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $11,691 to $27,592 per year for indexed programs. Cape Girardeau has a population of about 40,047. Median household income is $54,870 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $242,630 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Nursing Schools to Cape Girardeau
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Cape Girardeau. Distances are calculated from Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Shawnee Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
John A Logan College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Missouri schools on the Missouri nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau is part of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 16020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $82,640 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $95,981 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $60,100 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $69,803 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | $242,630 | MO statewide | $281,800 |
| Nurse Midwife | $130,220 | MO statewide | $151,243 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $130,000 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $150,987 |
| Nursing Assistant | $36,650 | Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $42,567 |
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.
Cape Girardeau at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 40,047 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $54,870 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 36.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 86.1 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Cape Girardeau County | 5,801 workers, 54 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Cape Girardeau-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Carbondale, IL – 33.9 mi away (68,540 pop)
- Paducah, KY – 53.1 mi away (49,027 pop)
- Farmington, MO – 57.7 mi away (44,494 pop)
- Poplar Bluff, MO – 60.4 mi away (20,714 pop)
- Murray, KY – 83.6 mi away (20,431 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Cape Girardeau, MO?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Cape Girardeau. The closest is Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Cape Girardeau, MO (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is West Kentucky Community and Technical College (52.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Cape Girardeau?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Cape Girardeau are: Nurse Anesthetist ($242,630), Nurse Midwife ($130,220), Nurse Practitioner ($130,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Carbondale instead of Cape Girardeau?
Carbondale, IL is 33.9 miles from Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau an affordable place to study nursing?
Cape Girardeau’s median household income of $54,870 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cape Girardeau while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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
- Nursing accreditation: what to look for
- Nursing concentrations and specializations
- Is a Nursing degree worth it?
- Main Nursing degree guide
- Online Nursing programs in Missouri
- Nursing programs by state
Other Programs Available in Cape Girardeau
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Cape Girardeau:
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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.