2021 Highest Paid Nursing Graduates
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
With 154,540 bachelor's degrees handed out in 2018-2019, nursing is the #2 most popular major in the United States.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Highest Paid Nursing Graduates ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
This year's Highest Paid Nursing Graduates ranking analyzed 840 colleges that offered a bachelor's degree in nursing.
The numbers used in this ranking are early career salaries, which we define to be 10 years after a student started college. This is the salary typically earned 4-6 years after graduation, but may be different depending on how long a person takes to complete their degree.
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How Much Do Nursing Majors Make After Graduation?
After graduation, nursing majors from schools in the United States earn an average salary of $62,245 per year. This is 56% higher than the average college graduate, who only makes around $39,802 a year.
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2021 Highest Paid Nursing Grads in United States
The highest paid nursing majors graduate from the following colleges and universities.
Top 25 Best Schools for Highly Paid Nursing Graduates
Our rankings recognize Sonoma State University as the #1 school in this year's rankings. Located in the suburb of Rohnert Park, SSU is a public college with a medium-sized student population. Nursing majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $110,300.
After completing their bachelor's degree, nursing graduates from SSU carry an average student debtload of $15,011. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $130, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Our rankings recognize California State University - East Bay as the #2 school in this year's rankings. Located in the suburb of Hayward, California State University - East Bay is a public school with a large student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $109,500.
On average, nursing graduates from California State University - East Bay take out $18,849 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $174.
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Our rankings recognize California State University - Sacramento as the #3 school in this year's rankings. Located in the large city of Sacramento, California State University - Sacramento is a public school with a very large student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $106,600.
Nursing majors at California State University - Sacramento take out an average of $17,638 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $176.
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Our rankings recognize Samuel Merritt University as the #4 school in this year's rankings. Samuel Merritt University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Oakland. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in nursing from the school is $102,400.
While working on their bachelor's, nursing majors at Samuel Merritt University accumulate an average of around $18,813 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $195.
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Mercy College comes in at #5 in this year's ranking. Located in the large suburb of Dobbs Ferry, Mercy is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $98,600.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Mercy take out while working on their bachelor's is $23,506. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $246, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Pacific College landed the #6 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid nursing school. Pacific College is a small private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Costa Mesa. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $98,400.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Pacific College take out while working on their bachelor's is $11,149. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $130, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of Providence landed the #7 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid nursing school. Located in the small city of Great Falls, University of Providence is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. Nursing majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $97,000.
After completing their bachelor's degree, nursing graduates from University of Providence carry an average student debtload of $14,054. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $130, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Our rankings recognize California State University - Stanislaus as the #8 school in this year's rankings. Located in the small suburb of Turlock, Cal State Stanislaus is a public college with a large student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $96,800.
Nursing majors at Cal State Stanislaus take out an average of $19,720 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $230.
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Our rankings recognize SUNY Downstate Medical Center as the #9 school in this year's rankings. Downstate Medical Center is a small public school located in the large city of Brooklyn. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, nursing majors make an average salary of $94,800.
While working on their bachelor's, nursing majors at Downstate Medical Center accumulate an average of around $12,581 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $130, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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San Francisco State University earned the #10 spot in our 2021 rankings. SFSU is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $94,700.
After completing their bachelor's degree, nursing graduates from SFSU carry an average student debtload of $17,728. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $186, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #11 spot in this year's ranking belongs to California State University - Chico. Chico State is a large public school located in the city of Chico. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $93,500.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Chico State take out while working on their bachelor's is $19,449. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $194, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Our rankings recognize St. Francis College as the #12 school in this year's rankings. Located in the city of Brooklyn Heights, SFC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in nursing from the school is $93,300.
After completing their bachelor's degree, nursing graduates from SFC carry an average student debtload of $23,323. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Helene Fuld College of Nursing comes in at #13 in this year's ranking. HFCN is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of New York. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, nursing majors make an average salary of $92,900.
After completing their bachelor's degree, nursing graduates from HFCN carry an average student debtload of $25,683. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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New York University earned the #14 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, nursing majors make an average salary of $91,800.
After completing their bachelor's degree, nursing graduates from NYU carry an average student debtload of $18,589. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $209.
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Dominican University of California landed the #15 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid nursing school. DUofC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of San Rafael. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in nursing from the school is $91,600.
Nursing majors at DUofC take out an average of $31,119 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $322, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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CUNY Hunter College earned the #16 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the large city of New York, Hunter is a public college with a fairly large student population. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, nursing majors make an average salary of $91,100.
Nursing majors at Hunter take out an average of $17,019 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $156, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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The #17 spot in this year's ranking belongs to LIU Post. Located in the suburb of Brookville, LIU Post is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, nursing majors make an average salary of $90,900.
On average, nursing graduates from LIU Post take out $28,852 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $262, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Farmingdale State College landed the #18 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid nursing school. Located in the suburb of Farmingdale, SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale is a public college with a medium-sized student population. Upon graduating with a bachelor's degree, nursing majors make an average salary of $90,900.
While working on their bachelor's, nursing majors at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale accumulate an average of around $21,346 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $201.
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Our rankings recognize Wagner College as the #19 school in this year's rankings. Wagner is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Staten Island. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in nursing from the school is $90,700.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Wagner take out while working on their bachelor's is $22,855. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $259, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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CUNY Medgar Evers College comes in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in the large city of Brooklyn, Medgar is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. Nursing majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $89,900.
After completing their bachelor's degree, nursing graduates from Medgar carry an average student debtload of $11,140. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $117.
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New York Institute of Technology comes in at #21 in this year's ranking. Located in the suburb of Old Westbury, NYIT is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. Students who receive their bachelor's in nursing from the school go on to jobs that make an average salary of $89,800.
While working on their bachelor's, nursing majors at NYIT accumulate an average of around $30,523 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $323.
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Pacific Union College earned the #22 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the rural area of Angwin, PUC is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in nursing from the school is $89,700.
On average, nursing graduates from PUC take out $32,179 in student loans while working on their bachelor's degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $322, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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College of Staten Island CUNY earned the #23 spot in our 2021 rankings. CSI is a large public school located in the city of Staten Island. The average salary for a student who gets a bachelor's degree in nursing from the school is $89,500.
While working on their bachelor's, nursing majors at CSI accumulate an average of around $19,113 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $183.
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San Jose State University landed the #24 spot in our 2021 rankings for highest paid nursing school. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State is a public school with a fairly large student population. Nursing majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $89,400.
While working on their bachelor's, nursing majors at San Jose State accumulate an average of around $16,455 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $143, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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California State University - Dominguez Hills earned the #25 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Carson, California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public college with a fairly large student population. Nursing majors who obtain their bachelor's from the school make an average salary of $89,400.
The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at California State University - Dominguez Hills take out while working on their bachelor's is $18,494. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $174.
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Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Highest Paid Nursing Graduates badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 840 different United States nursing schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Nursing students seeking high pay that almost earned our Highest Paid Nursing Graduates award.
Nursing by Region
View the Highest Paid Nursing Graduates for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| The Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Nursing Related Rankings by Major
Nursing is one of 34 different types of Health Professions programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Health & Medical Administrative Services | 17,317 |
| Public Health | 16,962 |
| Health Sciences & Services | 16,503 |
| Communication Sciences | 11,326 |
| Allied Health Professions | 11,092 |
View All Nursing Related Majors >
Notes and References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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