Best Online Nursing Programs in Chester, PA (2026)

Chester, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Chester has a population of about 33,209. Median household income is $39,809 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $238,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Chester

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

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

Nursing Wages Near Chester

Chester is part of the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area (BLS area code 37980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania 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.

Chester at a Glance

Other Chester-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

• Wilmington, DE – 11.3 mi away (71,442 pop)
• Camden, NJ – 15.4 mi away (74,420 pop)
• Philadelphia, PA – 16.9 mi away (5,591,554 pop)
• Norristown, PA – 19.2 mi away (34,370 pop)
• Newark, DE – 23.5 mi away (33,398 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Chester, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Chester. The closest is All-State Career School in Essington, PA (4.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Salem Community College (11.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Chester?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Chester are: Nurse Anesthetist ($238,540), Nurse Practitioner ($135,700), Registered Nurse ($101,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wilmington instead of Chester?

Wilmington, DE is 11.3 miles from Chester 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 Chester an affordable place to study nursing?

Chester’s median household income of $39,809 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania
• Nursing programs by state

Other Programs Available in Chester

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

• Criminal Justice programs in Chester, PA
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• Liberal Arts programs in Chester, PA
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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.