Centralia College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Best Online Nursing Programs in Tumwater, WA (2026)
Tumwater, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs. Tumwater has a population of about 26,519. Median household income is $93,635 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Washington, the top-earning nursing-related role is Nurse Anesthetist at a median $274,390 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Nursing Schools to Tumwater
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer nursing programs near Tumwater. Distances are calculated from Tumwater 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 Tumwater. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Clover Park Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Pacific Lutheran University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Tacoma Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Bates Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Washington schools on the Washington nursing page.
Nursing Wages Near Tumwater
Tumwater is part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area (BLS area code 36500). 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 | $125,020 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $120,559 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $81,350 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $78,447 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | $274,390 | WA statewide | $264,600 |
| Nurse Midwife | $158,970 | WA statewide | $153,298 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $145,950 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $140,743 |
| Nursing Assistant | $48,060 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $46,345 |
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.
Tumwater at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,519 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $93,635 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 41.6% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.7 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Nursing-related employment in Thurston County | 5,926 workers, 132 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Tumwater-Area Cities With Nursing Programs
- Olympia, WA – 3.6 mi away (194,532 pop)
- Lacey, WA – 7.1 mi away (47,688 pop)
- Centralia, WA – 18.8 mi away (41,077 pop)
- Lakewood, WA – 21.9 mi away (60,665 pop)
- University Place, WA – 23.4 mi away (33,288 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited nursing schools are near Tumwater, WA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering nursing programs near Tumwater. The closest is Centralia College in Centralia, WA (19.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bates Technical College (28.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying nursing roles near Tumwater?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying nursing-related roles near Tumwater are: Nurse Anesthetist ($274,390), Nurse Midwife ($158,970), Nurse Practitioner ($145,950). 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 Olympia instead of Tumwater?
Olympia, WA is 3.6 miles from Tumwater 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 Tumwater an affordable place to study nursing?
Tumwater’s median household income of $93,635 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Tumwater 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
- Nursing accreditation: what to look for
- Nursing concentrations and specializations
- Is a Nursing degree worth it?
- Main Nursing degree guide
- Online Nursing programs in Washington
- Nursing programs by state
Other Programs Available in Tumwater
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Tumwater:
- Criminal Justice programs in Tumwater, WA
- Business Administration programs in Tumwater, WA
- Computer Science programs in Tumwater, WA
- Psychology programs in Tumwater, WA
- Education programs in Tumwater, WA
- Engineering programs in Tumwater, WA
- Technology programs in Tumwater, WA
- Liberal Arts programs in Tumwater, WA
- Healthcare programs in Tumwater, WA
- Cybersecurity programs in Tumwater, WA
- Accounting programs in Tumwater, WA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Tumwater, WA
- Social Work programs in Tumwater, WA
- Counseling programs in Tumwater, WA
Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
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.