Best Online Nursing Programs in Wilmington, NC (2026)

Wilmington, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs, with tuition ranging from $2,462 to $15,130 per year for indexed programs. Wilmington has a population of about 118,578. Median household income is $63,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wilmington, NC metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $218,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Wilmington

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Wilmington. Distances are calculated from Wilmington city center.

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

Nursing Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Wilmington, NC metro area (BLS area code 48900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

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.

Wilmington at a Glance

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

• Jacksonville, NC – 45.6 mi away (101,865 pop)
• Myrtle Beach, SC – 66.9 mi away (256,079 pop)
• Lumberton, NC – 70.8 mi away (29,681 pop)
• Conway, SC – 70.9 mi away (22,761 pop)
• Havelock, NC – 74.0 mi away (21,083 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Wilmington, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Wilmington. The closest is Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, NC (4.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bladen Community College (56.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Wilmington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Wilmington are: Nurse Anesthetist ($218,830), Nurse Midwife ($126,040), Nurse Practitioner ($124,990). 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 Jacksonville instead of Wilmington?

Jacksonville, NC is 45.6 miles from Wilmington 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 Wilmington an affordable place to study nursing?

Wilmington’s median household income of $63,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington 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

• Nursing accreditation: what to look for
• Nursing concentrations and specializations
• Is a Nursing degree worth it?
• Main Nursing degree guide
• Online Nursing programs in North Carolina
• Nursing programs by state

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

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Data verified: June 11, 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.