Federal data
Highest earning 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 | Chamberlain University | Addison | For-profit, 4-year | $83,188 | 10,218 |
| 2 | Governors State University | University Park | Public, 4-year | $80,391 | 32 |
| 3 | Benedictine University | Lisle | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $80,136 | 118 |
| 4 | Saint Xavier University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $78,285 | 243 |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $76,869 | 603 |
| 6 | Lewis University | Romeoville | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $76,766 | 162 |
| 7 | Trinity Christian College | Palos Heights | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $76,446 | 56 |
| 8 | University of St Francis | Joliet | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $75,811 | 179 |
| 9 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $75,629 | 66 |
| 10 | Roosevelt University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $75,231 | 30 |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public, 4-year | $75,045 | 324 |
| 12 | Rasmussen University | Rockford | For-profit, 2-year | $74,861 | 917 |
| 13 | Western Illinois University | Macomb | Public, 4-year | $74,490 | 44 |
| 14 | North Park University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $73,846 | 118 |
| 15 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $73,820 | 89 |
| 16 | McKendree University | Lebanon | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $73,156 | 68 |
| 17 | Bradley University | Peoria | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $73,143 | 140 |
| 18 | Illinois State University | Normal | Public, 4-year | $72,709 | 232 |
| 19 | Aurora University | Aurora | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $72,520 | 301 |
| 20 | Saint Anthony College of Nursing | Rockford | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $71,970 | 151 |
| 21 | Millikin University | Decatur | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $71,848 | 69 |
| 22 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public, 4-year | $71,161 | 533 |
| 23 | Rockford University | Rockford | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $70,940 | 110 |
| 24 | Dominican University | River Forest | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $70,530 | 73 |
| 25 | Lakeview College of Nursing | Danville | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $69,090 | 122 |
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.
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