Best Online Nursing Programs in Scranton, PA (2026)

Scranton, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Scranton has a population of about 76,074. Median household income is $49,531 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $199,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Nursing Schools to Scranton

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

#1

Lackawanna College

Scranton, PA 0.6 miles from Scranton BOC Score58.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

Fortis Institute-Scranton

Scranton, PA 1.1 miles from Scranton BOC Score29.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#3

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton

Dunmore, PA 2.0 miles from Scranton BOC Score42.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#4

Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County

Scranton, PA 3.5 miles from Scranton BOC Score57.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#5

Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center Practical Nursing

Wilkes Barre, PA 15.7 miles from Scranton BOC Score37.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

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


Nursing Wages Near Scranton

Scranton is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). 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$82,650Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$88,301
Licensed Practical Nurse$61,740Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$65,962
Nurse Anesthetist$199,800Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$213,462
Nurse Midwife$119,990PA statewide$128,194
Nurse Practitioner$126,820Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$135,491
Nursing Assistant$43,980Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$46,987

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.


Scranton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population76,074Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,531Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Lackawanna County7,655 workers, 143 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Scranton-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Scranton, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Scranton. The closest is Lackawanna College in Scranton, PA (0.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center Practical Nursing (15.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Scranton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Scranton are: Nurse Anesthetist ($199,800), Nurse Practitioner ($126,820), 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 Wilkes-Barre instead of Scranton?

Wilkes-Barre, PA is 15.4 miles from Scranton 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 Scranton an affordable place to study nursing?

Scranton’s median household income of $49,531 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Scranton 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 Scranton

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

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.