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 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:
If you want to know which schools send nursing graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is University Of Rhode Island, our #1 for nursing graduate salaries in Rhode Island. University Of Rhode Island is a public school located in the suburb of Kingston. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from University Of Rhode Island typically earn about $94,385 annually.
New England Institute Of Technology produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nursing, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of East Greenwich, New England Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Nursing graduates of New England Institute Of Technology earn a median of about $78,844 a year early in their careers.
Salve Regina University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nursing, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Newport, Salve Regina University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Salve Regina University typically earn about $90,766 annually.
Community College Of Rhode Island produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nursing, landing the #4 spot this year. Community College Of Rhode Island is a public school located in the city of Warwick. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $79,309.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at Rhode Island College, which ranked #5. Located in the suburb of Providence, Rhode Island College is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Rhode Island College earn a median of about $88,330 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced 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 · 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.