Best Nursing Schools Near Ithaca, NY (2026)

Ithaca, New York has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $39,332 to $54,760 per year for indexed programs. Ithaca has a population of about 31,792. Median household income is $48,617 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In New York, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $321,030 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Ithaca

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

Elmira College

Elmira, NY 28.8 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
46.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,550
Avg net price $22,386/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Keuka College

Keuka Park, NY 32.2 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
54.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 68%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,289
Avg net price $24,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,332
Out‑of‑state$39,332
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY 36.9 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 39%
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,596
Avg net price $21,620/yr
Tuition
In‑state$10,567
Out‑of‑state$30,447
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 110

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Upstate Medical University

Syracuse, NY 45.2 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
95.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,257
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Le Moyne College

Syracuse, NY 46.8 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
71.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,731
Avg net price $22,277/yr
Tuition
In‑state$40,330
Out‑of‑state$40,330
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North

Liverpool, NY 50.6 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
21.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,568
Avg net price $15,217/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 43%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

SUNY Morrisville

Morrisville, NY 53.7 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,295
Avg net price $15,939/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,825
Out‑of‑state$19,245
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY 67.2 miles from Ithaca
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
70.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 76%
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,445
Avg net price $15,016/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,892
Out‑of‑state$16,837
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Nursing Wages Near Ithaca

Ithaca is part of the Ithaca, NY metro area (BLS area code 27060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $100,320 Ithaca, NY $97,115
Licensed Practical Nurse $64,730 Ithaca, NY $62,662
Nurse Anesthetist $321,030 NY statewide $310,774
Nurse Midwife $144,510 NY statewide $139,894
Nurse Practitioner $136,980 Ithaca, NY $132,604
Nursing Assistant $45,640 Ithaca, NY $44,182

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.


Ithaca at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 31,792 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,617 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 70.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Tompkins County 1,630 workers, 47 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Ithaca-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Ithaca, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Ithaca. The closest is Tompkins Cortland Community College in Dryden, NY (11.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Keuka College (32.2 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Ithaca?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Ithaca are: Nurse Anesthetist ($321,030), Nurse Midwife ($144,510), Nurse Practitioner ($136,980). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Cortland instead of Ithaca?

Cortland, NY is 19.7 miles from Ithaca 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 Ithaca an affordable place to study nursing?

Ithaca’s median household income of $48,617 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ithaca while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Ithaca

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

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.