Best Nursing Schools Near Wake Forest, NC (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Wake Forest, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Wake Forest has a population of about 51,199. Median household income is $120,777 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $155,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Wake Forest

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

William Peace University

Raleigh, NC 13.9 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,643
Avg net price $21,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 21.5 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Duke University

Durham, NC 23.8 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $97,800
Avg net price $29,612/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 144

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Watts College of Nursing

Durham, NC 24.3 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 86%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC 30.2 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,200
Avg net price $11,655/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Barton College

Wilson, NC 37.2 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,913
Avg net price $23,626/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 40.3 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,886
Avg net price $24,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

North Carolina Wesleyan University

Rocky Mount, NC 41.6 miles from Wake Forest
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,873
Avg net price $17,432/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing Wages Near Wake Forest

Wake Forest is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $84,830 Raleigh-Cary, NC $86,385
Licensed Practical Nurse $64,080 Raleigh-Cary, NC $65,255
Nurse Anesthetist $155,250 Raleigh-Cary, NC $158,096
Nurse Midwife $132,070 Raleigh-Cary, NC $134,491
Nurse Practitioner $128,150 Raleigh-Cary, NC $130,499
Nursing Assistant $39,710 Raleigh-Cary, NC $40,438

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.

Wake Forest at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 51,199 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $120,777 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Wake County 33,532 workers, 228 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Wake Forest-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Wake Forest, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Wake Forest. The closest is William Peace University in Raleigh, NC (13.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wake Technical Community College (24.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Wake Forest?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Wake Forest are: Nurse Anesthetist ($155,250), Nurse Midwife ($132,070), Nurse Practitioner ($128,150). 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 Raleigh instead of Wake Forest?

Raleigh, NC is 11.6 miles from Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest an affordable place to study nursing?

Wake Forest’s median household income of $120,777 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wake Forest 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 Wake Forest

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

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.

Back to Best Nursing Schools in North Carolina: Online Programs (2026)