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

#1

Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Cape Girardeau, MO 1.0 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score 77.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,918
Avg net price $19,390/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center

Cape Girardeau, MO 2.6 miles from Cape Girardeau BOC Score 59.8
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,369
Avg net price $17,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Council on Occupational EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$82,640Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$95,981
Licensed Practical Nurse$60,100Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$69,803
Nurse Anesthetist$242,630MO statewide$281,800
Nurse Midwife$130,220MO statewide$151,243
Nurse Practitioner$130,000Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$150,987
Nursing Assistant$36,650Cape 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

MetricValueSource
Population40,047Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$54,870Census 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 County5,801 workers, 54 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cape Girardeau-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Cape Girardeau, MO?

Accredited schools offering nursing programs near Cape Girardeau 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 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

Other Programs Available in Cape Girardeau

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

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.