Best Online Nursing Programs in Philadelphia, PA (2026)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a population of about 1,582,432. The city’s median household income is $60,698 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. There are 5 accredited nursing programs within 100 miles of Philadelphia. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $217,670 annually (BLS, May 2024).


Closest Nursing Schools to Philadelphia

The five accredited institutions below are the closest options indexed in our directory that offer nursing programs. Distances are calculated from Philadelphia city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
La Salle UniversityPhiladelphia, PA2.3 miContact school for pricing
Health and Technology Training InstitutePhiladelphia, PA4.1 miContact school for pricing
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA5.0 miContact school for pricing
Prism Career Institute-PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA5.8 miContact school for pricing
PITC InstituteWyncote, PA6.1 miContact school for pricing

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


Nursing Wages Near Philadelphia

Philadelphia 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$99,210Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$96,696
Licensed Practical Nurse$67,150Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$65,448
Nurse Anesthetist$217,670PA statewide$212,154
Nurse Midwife$74,670Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$72,778
Nurse Practitioner$131,590Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$128,255
Nursing Assistant$43,000Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$41,910

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Philadelphia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population1,582,432Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,698Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+34.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Philadelphia County77,031 workers, 705 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Philadelphia-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing programs are near Philadelphia, PA?

Our directory lists 5 nursing programs within 100 miles of Philadelphia. The closest is La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA (2.3 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is PITC Institute (6.1 miles). 0 of these programs are offered fully online.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Philadelphia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Philadelphia are: Nurse Anesthetist ($217,670), Nurse Practitioner ($131,590), Registered Nurse ($99,210). 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 Camden instead of Philadelphia?

Camden, NJ is 5.1 miles from Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia an affordable place to study nursing?

Philadelphia’s median household income of $60,698 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Philadelphia 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.