Best Nursing Schools Near Seattle, WA (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Seattle, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Seattle has a population of about 741,440. Median household income is $121,984 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 67.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $274,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Nursing Schools to Seattle

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer nursing programs near Seattle, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Seattle city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Seattle. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Seattle Central College

Seattle, WA 0.4 miles from Seattle
  • 4 year
55.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,307
Avg net price $8,819/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Seattle University

Seattle, WA 0.9 miles from Seattle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,272
Avg net price $34,662/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA 2.5 miles from Seattle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,466
Avg net price $14,091/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 234

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Seattle Pacific University

Seattle, WA 2.6 miles from Seattle
  • 4 year
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,506
Avg net price $24,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Nursing Wages Near Seattle

Seattle is part of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area (BLS area code 42660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Registered Nurse $128,260 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $115,446
Licensed Practical Nurse $85,690 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $77,129
Nurse Anesthetist $274,390 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $246,976
Nurse Midwife $162,970 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $146,688
Nurse Practitioner $160,090 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $144,095
Nursing Assistant $51,990 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $46,796

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.

Seattle at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 741,440 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $121,984 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 67.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 111.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Nursing-related employment in King County 50,813 workers, 1,001 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Seattle-Area Cities With Nursing Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited nursing schools are near Seattle, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Seattle. The closest is Seattle Central College in Seattle, WA (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northwest University-Center for Online and Extended Education (6.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Seattle?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Seattle are: Nurse Anesthetist ($274,390), Nurse Midwife ($162,970), Nurse Practitioner ($160,090). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mercer Island instead of Seattle?

Mercer Island, WA is 6.1 miles from Seattle 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 Seattle an affordable place to study nursing?

Seattle’s median household income of $121,984 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Seattle while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Seattle

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Nursing Schools in Washington: Online Programs (2026)