Best Nursing Schools Near South Plainfield, NJ (2026)

South Plainfield, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. South Plainfield has a population of about 24,231. Median household income is $126,063 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $321,030 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to South Plainfield

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

Ranked by BOC Score β€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ 5.5 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $24,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 185

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Chamberlain University-New Jersey

North Brunswick, NJ 7.6 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
50.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,405
Avg net price $37,984/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Kean University

Union, NJ 11.9 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,237
Avg net price $12,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus

Madison, NJ 13.8 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,273
Avg net price $22,829/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,004
Out‑of‑state$38,004
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Saint Elizabeth University

Morristown, NJ 14.4 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,038
Avg net price $23,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ 14.6 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,196
Avg net price $31,446/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 91

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Rutgers University-Newark

Newark, NJ 16.9 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $19,703/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bloomfield College of Montclair State University

Bloomfield, NJ 19.1 miles from South Plainfield
  • 4 year
29.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,415
Avg net price $28,014/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Nursing Wages Near South Plainfield

South Plainfield is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $119,720 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $106,323
Licensed Practical Nurse $75,910 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $67,416
Nurse Anesthetist $321,030 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $285,107
Nurse Midwife $159,730 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $141,856
Nurse Practitioner $163,340 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $145,062
Nursing Assistant $49,270 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $43,757

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.


South Plainfield at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,231 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $126,063 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 42.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 112.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Middlesex County 24,597 workers, 162 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other South Plainfield-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near South Plainfield, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near South Plainfield. The closest is American Institute of Medical Sciences & Education in Piscataway, NJ (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lincoln Technical Institute-Iselin (5.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near South Plainfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near South Plainfield are: Nurse Anesthetist ($321,030), Nurse Practitioner ($163,340), Nurse Midwife ($159,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Plainfield instead of South Plainfield?

Plainfield, NJ is 2.8 miles from South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield an affordable place to study nursing?

South Plainfield’s median household income of $126,063 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Plainfield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 South Plainfield

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

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.