Best Online Nursing Programs in Houston, TX (2026)

Houston, Texas has a population of about 2,300,419. The city’s median household income is $62,894 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 30 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Houston. In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $235,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Nursing Schools to Houston

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 30 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Houston. Distances are calculated from Houston city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
University of Houston-DowntownHouston, TX2.5 miContact school for pricing
Houston Community CollegeHouston, TX3.3 miContact school for pricing
University of St ThomasHouston, TX3.5 miContact school for pricing
Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX5.3 miContact school for pricing
University of HoustonHouston, TX5.5 miContact school for pricing
The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, TX5.8 miContact school for pricing
The College of Health Care Professions-NorthwestHouston, TX6.5 miContact school for pricing
Houston Christian UniversityHouston, TX9.8 miContact school for pricing
Chamberlain University-TexasHouston, TX10.6 miContact school for pricing
Pima Medical Institute-HoustonHouston, TX10.7 miContact school for pricing

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


Nursing Wages Near Houston

Houston is part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area (BLS area code 26420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse$97,810Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$99,199
Licensed Practical Nurse$61,700Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$62,576
Nurse Anesthetist$235,490Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$238,834
Nurse Midwife$109,520Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$111,075
Nurse Practitioner$133,140Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$135,030
Nursing Assistant$36,940Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$37,465

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.


Houston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population2,300,419Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,894Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in Harris County104,982 workers, 713 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Houston-Area Cities With Nursing Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Houston, TX?

Our directory has 30 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Houston. The closest is University of Houston-Downtown in Houston, TX (2.5 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Pima Medical Institute-Houston (10.7 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Houston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Houston are: Nurse Anesthetist ($235,490), Nurse Practitioner ($133,140), Nurse Midwife ($109,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Pearland instead of Houston?

Pearland, TX is 16.4 miles from Houston 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 Houston an affordable place to study nursing?

Houston’s median household income of $62,894 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Houston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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.