Best Online Nursing Programs in Lancaster, PA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Lancaster has a population of about 57,683. Median household income is $63,421 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $221,530 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Lancaster

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Lancaster. Distances are calculated from Lancaster 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 Lancaster. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Nursing Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Lancaster, PA metro area (BLS area code 29540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse	$89,620	Lancaster, PA	$91,170
Licensed Practical Nurse	$63,290	Lancaster, PA	$64,385
Nurse Anesthetist	$221,530	PA statewide	$225,361
Nurse Midwife	$119,990	PA statewide	$122,065
Nurse Practitioner	$133,940	Lancaster, PA	$136,256
Nursing Assistant	$44,890	Lancaster, PA	$45,666

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	57,683	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$63,421	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	27.1%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	98.3 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Lancaster County	22,120 workers, 170 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Lebanon, PA – 21.6 mi away (77,839 pop)
York, PA – 23.4 mi away (232,796 pop)
Reading, PA – 28.5 mi away (264,736 pop)
Harrisburg, PA – 34.7 mi away (438,995 pop)
Pottstown, PA – 37.6 mi away (109,052 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Lancaster, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Lancaster. The closest is Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences in Lancaster, PA (3.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is York College of Pennsylvania (23.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Lancaster are: Nurse Anesthetist ($221,530), Nurse Practitioner ($133,940), Nurse Midwife ($119,990). 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 Lebanon instead of Lancaster?

Lebanon, PA is 21.6 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study nursing?

Lancaster’s median household income of $63,421 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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

Other Programs Available in Lancaster

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

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.

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