Federal data
Highest earning master's registered nursing programs in Illinois
Illinois registered nursing programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midwestern University | Downers Grove | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $205,504 | 65 |
| 2 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | Peoria | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $115,050 | 74 |
| 3 | University of St Francis | Joliet | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $112,521 | 134 |
| 4 | Saint Xavier University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $111,974 | 108 |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $108,919 | 116 |
| 6 | Illinois State University | Normal | Public, 4-year | $108,154 | 44 |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public, 4-year | $107,425 | 32 |
| 8 | North Park University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $105,596 | 59 |
| 9 | Bradley University | Peoria | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $105,021 | 72 |
| 10 | Chamberlain University | Addison | For-profit, 4-year | $104,394 | 3,395 |
| 11 | Lewis University | Romeoville | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $103,365 | 98 |
| 12 | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $102,373 | 94 |
| 13 | Governors State University | University Park | Public, 4-year | $101,783 | 34 |
| 14 | Benedictine University | Lisle | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $101,583 | 218 |
| 15 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $85,491 | 76 |
| 16 | Rush University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $81,862 | 254 |
| 17 | University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public, 4-year | $79,653 | 126 |
| 18 | DePaul University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $77,655 | 333 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.