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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 100 schools on the early-career earnings of their nursing graduates.
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 Texas Wesleyan University this year. Texas Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fort Worth. Early-career nursing graduates from Texas Wesleyan University make a median of around $213,854 per year.
College Of Health Care Professions Northwest came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. College Of Health Care Professions Northwest is a private for-profit school located in the city of Houston. Nursing graduates of College Of Health Care Professions Northwest earn a median of about $91,353 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes West Coast University Dallas one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the city of Richardson, West Coast University Dallas is a private for-profit institution. Nursing graduates of West Coast University Dallas earn a median of about $120,389 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at University Of Houston Victoria, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Victoria, University Of Houston Victoria is a public institution. Nursing graduates of University Of Houston Victoria earn a median of about $94,341 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in nursing will find them at University Of Houston Clear Lake, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston Clear Lake is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $93,001.
Laredo Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Set in the city of Laredo, Laredo Community College is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Laredo Community College make a median of around $92,707 per year.
Lone Star College System came in at #7 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of The Woodlands, Lone Star College System is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Lone Star College System make a median of around $85,625 per year.
Southwest Texas Junior College landed the #8 spot for nursing salaries this year. Set in the town of Uvalde, Southwest Texas Junior College is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Southwest Texas Junior College typically earn about $81,744 annually.
Schreiner University came in at #9 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Kerrville, Schreiner University is a private not-for-profit institution. Nursing graduates of Schreiner University earn a median of about $93,241 a year early in their careers.
Houston Community College placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Houston Community College is a public school located in the city of Houston. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $101,897.
Prairie View A And M University landed the #11 spot for nursing salaries this year. Prairie View A And M University is a public school located in the rural area of Prairie View. Early-career nursing graduates from Prairie View A And M University make a median of around $97,764 per year.
Weatherford College landed the #12 spot for nursing salaries this year. Set in the town of Weatherford, Weatherford College is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,875.
Alvin Community College ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the suburb of Alvin, Alvin Community College is a public institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Alvin Community College typically earn about $87,009 annually.
Texas State Technical College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Texas State Technical College is a public school located in the city of Waco. Early-career nursing graduates from Texas State Technical College make a median of around $81,024 per year.
Texas A And M University Central Texas placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the rural area of Killeen, Texas A And M University Central Texas is a public institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Texas A And M University Central Texas make a median of around $88,036 per year.
University Of Houston earned the #16 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $90,501.
College Of The Mainland placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the city of Texas City, College Of The Mainland is a public institution. Nursing graduates of College Of The Mainland earn a median of about $86,657 a year early in their careers.
Wharton County Junior College came in at #18 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Wharton County Junior College is a public school located in the town of Wharton. Early-career nursing graduates from Wharton County Junior College make a median of around $79,891 per year.
South Texas College placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the city of McAllen, South Texas College is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $84,408.
Paris Junior College earned the #20 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Paris Junior College is a public school located in the town of Paris. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Paris Junior College typically earn about $78,821 annually.
San Jacinto Community College placed #21 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the city of Pasadena, San Jacinto Community College is a public institution. Nursing graduates of San Jacinto Community College earn a median of about $90,009 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At Arlington came in at #22 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $105,125.
Lamar State College Port Arthur earned the #23 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Lamar State College Port Arthur is a public school located in the city of Port Arthur. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Lamar State College Port Arthur typically earn about $78,580 annually.
Chamberlain College Of Nursing Texas ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Chamberlain College Of Nursing Texas is a private for-profit school located in the city of Houston. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $92,768.
Covenant School Of Nursing And Allied Health came in at #25 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Lubbock, Covenant School Of Nursing And Allied Health is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Covenant School Of Nursing And Allied Health make a median of around $79,422 per year.
These schools also send nursing graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
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 · 100 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.
