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. The schools below stand out for the salaries their nursing graduates go on to command.
College Factual analyzed 41 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying nursing schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send nursing graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Rasmussen College Wisconsin, our #1 for nursing graduate salaries in Wisconsin. Set in the city of Green Bay, Rasmussen College Wisconsin is a private for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Rasmussen College Wisconsin make a median of around $82,661 per year.
Herzing University Brookfield came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the suburb of Brookfield, Herzing University Brookfield is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,525.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at Herzing University Kenosha, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Kenosha, Herzing University Kenosha is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Herzing University Kenosha make a median of around $81,525 per year.
Alverno College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Alverno College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Alverno College make a median of around $109,352 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Wisconsin Madison earned it the #5 place for nursing. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public school located in the city of Madison. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,103.
Milwaukee Area Technical College earned the #6 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Milwaukee Area Technical College make a median of around $71,497 per year.
Waukesha County Technical College earned the #7 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Pewaukee, Waukesha County Technical College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Waukesha County Technical College make a median of around $72,041 per year.
Bryant And Stratton College Wauwatosa came in at #8 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Wauwatosa, Bryant And Stratton College Wauwatosa is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,046.
Ottawa University Milwaukee landed the #9 spot for nursing salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Brookfield, Ottawa University Milwaukee is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Ottawa University Milwaukee typically earn about $76,207 annually.
Concordia University Wisconsin placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the suburb of Mequon, Concordia University Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $95,275.
Gateway Technical College landed the #11 spot for nursing salaries this year. Gateway Technical College is a public school located in the city of Kenosha. Nursing graduates of Gateway Technical College earn a median of about $71,599 a year early in their careers.
Wisconsin Lutheran College placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Wisconsin Lutheran College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Milwaukee. Nursing graduates of Wisconsin Lutheran College earn a median of about $81,124 a year early in their careers.
Herzing University Madison earned the #13 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Madison, Herzing University Madison is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Herzing University Madison typically earn about $110,658 annually.
Milwaukee School Of Engineering placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee School Of Engineering is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $78,832.
Edgewood College placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the city of Madison, Edgewood College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $79,487.
Carroll University landed the #16 spot for nursing salaries this year. Carroll University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Waukesha. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $76,892.
Marian University Wisconsin earned the #17 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Fond Du Lac, Marian University Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Marian University Wisconsin make a median of around $94,192 per year.
University Of Wisconsin Green Bay came in at #18 for nursing graduate earnings this year. University Of Wisconsin Green Bay is a public school located in the city of Green Bay. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $82,145.
Viterbo University placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Viterbo University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of La Crosse. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $78,414.
Carthage College came in at #20 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Kenosha, Carthage College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Carthage College typically earn about $74,265 annually.
Moraine Park Technical College landed the #21 spot for nursing salaries this year. Moraine Park Technical College is a public school located in the city of Fond du Lac. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,474.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee Flex placed #22 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee Flex is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee Flex typically earn about $77,482 annually.
Chippewa Valley Technical College ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Set in the city of Eau Claire, Chippewa Valley Technical College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Chippewa Valley Technical College make a median of around $69,998 per year.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee placed #24 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the city of Milwaukee, University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,751.
Blackhawk Technical College placed #25 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the suburb of Janesville, Blackhawk Technical College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Blackhawk Technical College make a median of around $61,984 per year.
These schools also send nursing graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries nursing graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 41 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.