by our College Data Analytics Team
[Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The highest-paying schools turn a nursing degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 13 schools on the early-career earnings of their nursing graduates.
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Below are the schools whose nursing graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of Michigan Flint tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools in Michigan. Located in the city of Flint, University Of Michigan Flint is a public institution. Nursing graduates of University Of Michigan Flint earn a median of about $146,740 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes Wayne State University one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the city of Detroit, Wayne State University is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $128,813.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Detroit Mercy earned it the #3 place for nursing. University Of Detroit Mercy is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Detroit. Early-career nursing graduates from University Of Detroit Mercy make a median of around $125,978 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Oakland University one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Oakland University typically earn about $132,101 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Michigan State University one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of about $121,949 a year early in their careers.
Madonna University landed the #6 spot for nursing salaries this year. Set in the city of Livonia, Madonna University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Madonna University typically earn about $107,914 annually.
Saginaw Valley State University earned the #7 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Saginaw Valley State University is a public school located in the suburb of University Center. Nursing graduates of Saginaw Valley State University earn a median of about $106,840 a year early in their careers.
Spring Arbor University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the rural area of Spring Arbor, Spring Arbor University is a private not-for-profit institution. Nursing graduates of Spring Arbor University earn a median of about $101,688 a year early in their careers.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #9 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor typically earn about $113,943 annually.
Davenport University earned the #10 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Davenport University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Grand Rapids. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $98,724.
Eastern Michigan University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Eastern Michigan University is a public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $98,401.
Grand Valley State University landed the #12 spot for nursing salaries this year. Located in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Grand Valley State University earn a median of about $104,078 a year early in their careers.
Ferris State University placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Ferris State University is a public school located in the town of Big Rapids. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $99,271.
This list is compiled 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 · 13 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.