Best Online Nursing Programs in Lexington, SC (2026)

Lexington, South Carolina has a population of about 24,132. The city’s median household income is $83,263 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 46 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Lexington. In the Columbia, SC metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $219,170 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Nursing Schools to Lexington

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 46 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Lexington. Distances are calculated from Lexington city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Midlands Technical CollegeWest Columbia, SC6.5 miContact school for pricing
Fortis College-ColumbiaColumbia, SC8.1 miContact school for pricing
Columbia International UniversityColumbia, SC10.3 miContact school for pricing
University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SC11.1 miContact school for pricing
Columbia CollegeColumbia, SC11.6 miContact school for pricing
Southeastern College-ColumbiaColumbia, SC15.6 miContact school for pricing
[South University-Columbia](https://www.southuniversity.edu/columbia#location=Columbia, SC)Columbia, SC16.6 miContact school for pricing
Newberry CollegeNewberry, SC30.8 miContact school for pricing
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical CollegeOrangeburg, SC38.0 miContact school for pricing
Claflin UniversityOrangeburg, SC39.8 miContact school for pricing

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


Nursing Wages Near Lexington

Lexington is part of the Columbia, SC metro area (BLS area code 17900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$80,100Columbia, SC$85,486
Licensed Practical Nurse$59,980Columbia, SC$64,013
Nurse Anesthetist$219,170Columbia, SC$233,906
Nurse Midwife$118,100SC statewide$126,041
Nurse Practitioner$112,050Columbia, SC$119,584
Nursing Assistant$36,410Columbia, SC$38,858

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.


Lexington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,132Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$83,263Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+48.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Lexington County4,228 workers, 77 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lexington-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Lexington, SC?

Our directory has 46 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Lexington. The closest is Midlands Technical College in West Columbia, SC (6.5 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Claflin University (39.8 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Lexington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Lexington are: Nurse Anesthetist ($219,170), Nurse Midwife ($118,100), Nurse Practitioner ($112,050). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Columbia instead of Lexington?

Columbia, SC is 18.4 miles from Lexington 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 Lexington an affordable place to study nursing?

Lexington’s median household income of $83,263 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lexington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.