by our College Data Analytics Team
[Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 3 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.
Our analysis ranked Vermont Technical College the top school for nursing graduate earnings in Vermont. Set in the rural area of Randolph, Vermont Technical College is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Vermont Technical College earn a median of about $78,686 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Norwich University earned it the #2 place for nursing. Norwich University is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Northfield. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $78,045.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Vermont one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the city of Burlington, University Of Vermont is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from University Of Vermont typically earn about $78,720 annually.
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 · 3 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.