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 33 schools on the early-career earnings of their nursing graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send nursing graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Graceland University Lamoni earned the #1 spot for highest-paid nursing graduates in Iowa. Graceland University Lamoni is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Lamoni. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $105,972.
A rank of #2 makes Luther College one of the highest-paying schools for nursing. Set in the town of Decorah, Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,923.
Strong graduate earnings at Upper Iowa University earned it the #3 place for nursing. Located in the rural area of Fayette, Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career nursing graduates from Upper Iowa University make a median of around $78,287 per year.
St Lukes College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in nursing, landing the #4 spot this year. St Lukes College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux City. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,783.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Iowa earned it the #5 place for nursing. Located in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $86,106.
Iowa Western Community College placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Iowa Western Community College is a public school located in the suburb of Council Bluffs. Nursing graduates of Iowa Western Community College earn a median of about $67,766 a year early in their careers.
Northwestern College Iowa landed the #7 spot for nursing salaries this year. Set in the town of Orange City, Northwestern College Iowa is a private not-for-profit institution. Nursing graduates of Northwestern College Iowa earn a median of about $71,479 a year early in their careers.
Saint Ambrose University earned the #8 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Davenport, Saint Ambrose University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Saint Ambrose University typically earn about $78,348 annually.
Briar Cliff University came in at #9 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Sioux City, Briar Cliff University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Briar Cliff University typically earn about $70,850 annually.
Western Iowa Tech Community College earned the #10 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a public school located in the city of Sioux City. Nursing graduates of Western Iowa Tech Community College earn a median of about $67,617 a year early in their careers.
Morningside College earned the #11 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Sioux City, Morningside College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $73,081.
Marshalltown Community College landed the #12 spot for nursing salaries this year. Set in the town of Marshalltown, Marshalltown Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,855.
Southeastern Community College West Burlington landed the #13 spot for nursing salaries this year. Southeastern Community College West Burlington is a public school located in the town of West Burlington. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,671.
Allen College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the city of Waterloo, Allen College is a private not-for-profit institution. Nursing graduates of Allen College earn a median of about $77,493 a year early in their careers.
Kirkwood Community College landed the #15 spot for nursing salaries this year. Kirkwood Community College is a public school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,713.
Eastern Iowa Community College District placed #16 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a public school located in the city of Davenport. Nursing graduates of Eastern Iowa Community College District earn a median of about $64,438 a year early in their careers.
Mercy College Of Health Sciences ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Mercy College Of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Des Moines. Nursing graduates of Mercy College Of Health Sciences earn a median of about $71,069 a year early in their careers.
North Iowa Area Community College came in at #18 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the rural area of Mason City, North Iowa Area Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $69,839.
Mount Mercy University came in at #19 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Mount Mercy University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $71,296.
Coe College ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying nursing schools. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Coe College is a private not-for-profit institution. Nursing graduates of Coe College earn a median of about $68,573 a year early in their careers.
Southwestern Community College Creston came in at #21 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Southwestern Community College Creston is a public school located in the town of Creston. Nursing graduates of Southwestern Community College Creston earn a median of about $60,531 a year early in their careers.
University Of Dubuque earned the #22 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Dubuque, University Of Dubuque is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,829.
Dordt College came in at #23 for nursing graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Sioux Center, Dordt College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, nursing degree recipients from Dordt College typically earn about $59,927 annually.
Iowa Lakes Community College placed #24 among the highest-paying schools for nursing. Located in the town of Estherville, Iowa Lakes Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,156.
Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar earned the #25 position for nursing graduate earnings this year. Located in the rural area of Calmar, Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar is a public institution. Students who complete the nursing program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,471.
These schools also send nursing graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
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 · 33 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.