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.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find where nursing graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose nursing graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in nursing, no school beat Howard University this year. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Howard University typically earn about $105,029 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at Trinity Washington University, which ranked #2. Trinity Washington University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Early-career nursing graduates from Trinity Washington University make a median of around $97,649 per year.
Catholic University Of America produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nursing, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Catholic University Of America make a median of around $94,074 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at Georgetown University, which ranked #4. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $84,741.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at George Washington University, which ranked #5. George Washington University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Early-career nursing graduates from George Washington University make a median of around $91,325 per year.
This ranking is produced 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 · 5 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.