Institute of Technology
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Nursing Programs in Salem, OR (2026)
Salem, Oregon has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Salem has a population of about 176,666. Median household income is $71,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Salem, OR metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $174,260 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Nursing Schools to Salem
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Salem. Distances are calculated from Salem city center.
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 Salem. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Chemeketa Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Oregon Health & Science University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Concorde Career College-Portland
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Sumner College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Oregon schools on the Oregon nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Salem
Salem is part of the Salem, OR metro area (BLS area code 41420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Oregon statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse | $131,750 | Salem, OR | $127,172 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $79,600 | Salem, OR | $76,834 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | $174,260 | Salem, OR | $168,205 |
| Nurse Midwife | $146,900 | OR statewide | $141,795 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $162,600 | Salem, OR | $156,950 |
| Nursing Assistant | $48,840 | Salem, OR | $47,143 |
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.
Salem at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 176,666 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $71,900 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 31.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Marion County | 11,309 workers, 281 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Salem-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Keizer, OR – 5.5 mi away (38,980 pop)
- Woodburn, OR – 17.5 mi away (35,007 pop)
- Albany, OR – 20.7 mi away (60,463 pop)
- McMinnville, OR – 21.5 mi away (41,998 pop)
- Newberg, OR – 26.7 mi away (28,516 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Salem, OR?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Salem. The closest is Institute of Technology in Salem, OR (3.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sumner College (50.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Salem?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Salem are: Nurse Anesthetist ($174,260), Nurse Practitioner ($162,600), Nurse Midwife ($146,900). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Oregon statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Keizer instead of Salem?
Keizer, OR is 5.5 miles from Salem 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 Salem an affordable place to study nursing?
Salem’s median household income of $71,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Salem while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Oregon 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 Oregon
- Nursing programs by state
Other Programs Available in Salem
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Salem:
- Criminal Justice programs in Salem, OR
- Business Administration programs in Salem, OR
- Computer Science programs in Salem, OR
- Psychology programs in Salem, OR
- Education programs in Salem, OR
- Engineering programs in Salem, OR
- Technology programs in Salem, OR
- Liberal Arts programs in Salem, OR
- Healthcare programs in Salem, OR
- Cybersecurity programs in Salem, OR
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- Social Work programs in Salem, OR
- Counseling programs in Salem, OR
Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
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.