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

#1

Cape Fear Community College

Wilmington, NC 4.2 miles from Wilmington BOC Score 57.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,654
Avg net price $9,610/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$80,970Wilmington, NC$83,994
Licensed Practical Nurse$63,390Wilmington, NC$65,757
Nurse Anesthetist$218,830Wilmington, NC$227,002
Nurse Midwife$126,040NC statewide$130,747
Nurse Practitioner$124,990Wilmington, NC$129,658
Nursing Assistant$37,710Wilmington, NC$39,118

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

MetricValueSource
Population118,578Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,900Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+45.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Wilmington, NC?

Accredited schools offering nursing programs near Wilmington 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 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

Other Programs Available in Wilmington

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.