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 schools below stand out for the salaries their nursing graduates go on to command.
College Factual analyzed 18 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.
For graduate earnings in nursing, no school beat New Mexico Highlands University this year. Located in the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution. Nursing graduates of New Mexico Highlands University earn a median of about $107,510 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Carrington College Albuquerque earned it the #2 place for nursing. Carrington College Albuquerque is a private for-profit school located in the city of Albuquerque. Early-career nursing graduates from Carrington College Albuquerque make a median of around $84,782 per year.
A rank of #3 makes New Mexico State University Carlsbad one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. New Mexico State University Carlsbad is a public school located in the rural area of Carlsbad. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from New Mexico State University Carlsbad typically earn about $80,465 annually.
New Mexico State University Dona Ana came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Dona Ana is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from New Mexico State University Dona Ana make a median of around $80,465 per year.
Santa Fe Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Set in the rural area of Santa Fe, Santa Fe Community College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Santa Fe Community College make a median of around $77,960 per year.
Central New Mexico Community College landed the #6 spot for nursing salaries this year. Located in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $82,031.
University Of New Mexico Gallup Campus came in at #7 for nursing graduate earnings this year. University Of New Mexico Gallup Campus is a public school located in the town of Gallup. Early-career nursing graduates from University Of New Mexico Gallup Campus make a median of around $86,437 per year.
University Of New Mexico Taos Campus earned the #8 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. University Of New Mexico Taos Campus is a public school located in the rural area of Ranchos de Taos. Nursing graduates of University Of New Mexico Taos Campus earn a median of about $86,437 a year early in their careers.
University Of New Mexico Valencia County Campus ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the rural area of Los Lunas, University Of New Mexico Valencia County Campus is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $86,437.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus earned the #10 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from University Of New Mexico Main Campus typically earn about $92,947 annually.
Clovis Community College placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the town of Clovis, Clovis Community College is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Clovis Community College earn a median of about $76,895 a year early in their careers.
Brookline College Albuquerque ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Brookline College Albuquerque is a private for-profit school located in the city of Albuquerque. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Brookline College Albuquerque typically earn about $88,614 annually.
New Mexico Junior College earned the #13 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Hobbs, New Mexico Junior College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from New Mexico Junior College make a median of around $78,630 per year.
Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Campus earned the #14 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Roswell, Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Campus is a public institution. Nursing graduates of Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Campus earn a median of about $73,561 a year early in their careers.
San Juan College placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. San Juan College is a public school located in the rural area of Farmington. Early-career nursing graduates from San Juan College make a median of around $81,107 per year.
Western New Mexico University landed the #16 spot for nursing salaries this year. Located in the town of Silver City, Western New Mexico University is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $87,063.
Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus landed the #17 spot for nursing salaries this year. Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Portales. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $103,079.
New Mexico State University Main Campus earned the #18 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. New Mexico State University Main Campus is a public school located in the suburb of Las Cruces. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from New Mexico State University Main Campus typically earn about $77,392 annually.
The ranking above is published 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 · 18 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.