Best Online Nursing Programs in Cornelius, NC (2026)

Cornelius, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $2,602 to $10,951 per year for indexed programs. Cornelius has a population of about 32,009. Median household income is $114,688 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 59.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $277,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Cornelius

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

#1

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 17.9 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 52.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,865
Avg net price $3,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Gaston College

Dallas, NC 20.8 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 51.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,386
Avg net price $6,592/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,186
Out‑of‑state$9,330
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Southeastern College-Charlotte

Charlotte, NC 22.2 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 46.8
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,548
Avg net price $30,611/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Salisbury, NC 25.6 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 47.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,936
Avg net price $7,981/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Cleveland Community College

Shelby, NC 36.8 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 46.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,755
Avg net price $995/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute

Hudson, NC 42.8 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 46.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,515
Avg net price $10,810/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, NC 46.9 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 44.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 77%
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,039
Avg net price $17,674/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,760
Out‑of‑state$34,760
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Davidson-Davie Community College

Thomasville, NC 47.9 miles from Cornelius BOC Score 51.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,337
Avg net price $8,753/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Nursing Wages Near Cornelius

Cornelius is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$90,620Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$93,135
Licensed Practical Nurse$65,140Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$66,948
Nurse Anesthetist$277,550Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$285,252
Nurse Midwife$128,110Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$131,665
Nurse Practitioner$130,310Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$133,926
Nursing Assistant$39,430Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$40,524

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.


Cornelius at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,009Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$114,688Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+59.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Mecklenburg County17,427 workers, 262 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Cornelius-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Cornelius, NC?

Accredited schools offering nursing programs near Cornelius 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 Cornelius?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Cornelius are: Nurse Anesthetist ($277,550), Nurse Practitioner ($130,310), Nurse Midwife ($128,110). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Huntersville instead of Cornelius?

Huntersville, NC is 4.7 miles from Cornelius 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 Cornelius an affordable place to study nursing?

Cornelius’s median household income of $114,688 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cornelius while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Cornelius

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

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.