by our College Data Analytics Team
[Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 100 schools on the early-career earnings of their nursing graduates.
What’s on this page:
The right nursing school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. That is why we built our Highest Paid Nursing Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its nursing graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Read more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Nursing Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
If you want to know which schools send nursing graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Albany Medical College earned the #1 spot for highest-paid nursing graduates in the United States. Albany Medical College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Albany. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Albany Medical College typically earn about $232,258 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at College Of San Mateo earned it the #2 place for nursing. Located in the city of San Mateo, College Of San Mateo is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $135,534.
A rank of #3 makes San Jose State University one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. San Jose State University is a public school located in the city of San Jose. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $155,843.
California State University East Bay came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Set in the suburb of Hayward, California State University East Bay is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $160,918.
Ohlone Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Ohlone Community College is a public school located in the city of Fremont. Early-career nursing graduates from Ohlone Community College make a median of around $128,248 per year.
Yuba College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the suburb of Marysville, Yuba College is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Yuba College earn a median of about $132,809 a year early in their careers.
Cuny Queensborough Community College placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the city of Bayside, Cuny Queensborough Community College is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Cuny Queensborough Community College earn a median of about $117,931 a year early in their careers.
Pacific Union College earned the #8 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Pacific Union College is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Angwin. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $128,006.
Contra Costa College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Set in the suburb of San Pablo, Contra Costa College is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $135,374.
Mendocino College earned the #10 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Mendocino College is a public school located in the rural area of Ukiah. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Mendocino College typically earn about $113,261 annually.
Pacific College came in at #11 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Costa Mesa, Pacific College is a private for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Pacific College make a median of around $123,355 per year.
Santa Rosa Junior College earned the #12 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa Junior College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Santa Rosa Junior College make a median of around $131,805 per year.
California State University Monterey Bay placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. California State University Monterey Bay is a public school located in the suburb of Seaside. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from California State University Monterey Bay typically earn about $132,226 annually.
City College Of San Francisco earned the #14 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of San Francisco, City College Of San Francisco is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from City College Of San Francisco typically earn about $132,408 annually.
Sacramento City College landed the #15 spot for nursing salaries this year. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sacramento City College is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Sacramento City College typically earn about $129,980 annually.
Napa Valley College earned the #16 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Napa Valley College is a public school located in the city of Napa. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $110,607.
Dominican University Of California ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the city of San Rafael, Dominican University Of California is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $149,349.
Merced College came in at #18 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Merced, Merced College is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Merced College earn a median of about $114,563 a year early in their careers.
Carrington College California Sacramento earned the #19 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Sacramento, Carrington College California Sacramento is a private for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Carrington College California Sacramento typically earn about $117,741 annually.
Cuny College Of Staten Island came in at #20 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Staten Island, Cuny College Of Staten Island is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $114,605.
Los Angeles Southwest College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Los Angeles Southwest College is a public school located in the suburb of Los Angeles. Nursing graduates of Los Angeles Southwest College earn a median of about $108,194 a year early in their careers.
California State University Chico ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Set in the city of Chico, California State University Chico is a public institution. Nursing graduates of California State University Chico earn a median of about $120,599 a year early in their careers.
Eastwick College landed the #23 spot for nursing salaries this year. Eastwick College is a private for-profit school located in the suburb of Ramsey. Early-career nursing graduates from Eastwick College make a median of around $106,582 per year.
Grantham University landed the #24 spot for nursing salaries this year. Grantham University is a public school located in the city of LIttle Rock. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $115,555.
Allan Hancock College placed #25 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the city of Santa Maria, Allan Hancock College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Allan Hancock College make a median of around $106,411 per year.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid nursing ranking:
These institutions also earned high marks for nursing graduate pay:
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their nursing graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.