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.
Wheeling Jesuit University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools in West Virginia. Set in the city of Wheeling, Wheeling Jesuit University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $115,236.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at West Virginia University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from West Virginia University typically earn about $123,579 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at American Public University System, which ranked #3. American Public University System is a private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town. Nursing graduates of American Public University System earn a median of about $105,483 a year early in their careers.
West Virginia Wesleyan College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nursing, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Buckhannon, West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from West Virginia Wesleyan College make a median of around $103,788 per year.
Marshall University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Marshall University is a public school located in the city of Huntington. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Marshall University typically earn about $112,515 annually.
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.