Best Colleges for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 2026
20 schools ranked by graduate earnings, real data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Top 20 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs by Graduate Earnings
| # | School | Earnings | Tuition | Accept Rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-East Bay Hayward, CA | $139,795 | $18,935 | 97% | 10,422 |
| 2 | Samuel Merritt University Oakland, CA | $135,557 | N/A | N/A | 712 |
| 3 | Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA | $132,781 | $50,666 | 96% | 1,178 |
| 4 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA | $132,542 | $19,304 | 96% | 20,033 |
| 5 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | $127,245 | $58,222 | 51% | 5,697 |
| 6 | Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA | $124,083 | $20,070 | 95% | 5,374 |
| 7 | California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA | $123,869 | $19,482 | 94% | 27,867 |
| 8 | California State University-Monterey Bay Seaside, CA | $122,142 | $19,317 | 95% | 5,811 |
| 9 | California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, CA | $115,301 | $18,944 | 91% | 12,642 |
| 10 | St. Francis College Brooklyn, NY | $114,191 | $27,570 | N/A | 1,931 |
| 11 | Mercy University Dobbs Ferry, NY | $113,576 | $22,106 | 85% | 5,539 |
| 12 | Pacific Union College Angwin, CA | $112,642 | $35,214 | 42% | 910 |
| 13 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY | $112,500 | $15,360 | 55% | 10,438 |
| 14 | Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY | $111,965 | $18,486 | 69% | 9,117 |
| 15 | Helene Fuld College of Nursing New York, NY | $111,944 | $24,648 | 24% | 722 |
| 16 | California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA | $111,925 | $19,706 | 97% | 8,564 |
| 17 | American University of Health Sciences Signal Hill, CA | $110,694 | $24,575 | 100% | 364 |
| 18 | California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA | $110,342 | $18,975 | 93% | 32,357 |
| 19 | Wagner College Staten Island, NY | $109,601 | $52,000 | 83% | 1,579 |
| 20 | CUNY Medgar Evers College Brooklyn, NY | $109,153 | $15,302 | 83% | 3,404 |
Nursing prepares students to provide direct patient care, coordinate health services, and support physicians and other clinicians across hospital, outpatient, and community settings. BSN programs combine intensive coursework in anatomy, pharmacology, and pathophysiology with hundreds of hours of clinical rotations. Nurses are trained to assess patients, administer medications, interpret diagnostic tests, and serve as the primary point of contact between patients and the healthcare team.
Registered Nursing (RN) is one of the most in-demand careers in the United States, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting continued strong job growth through 2030. Starting salaries for BSN-prepared RNs average $60,000–$75,000 nationally, with experienced nurses and nurse practitioners earning $90,000–$120,000 or more. Specialty areas such as critical care, oncology, and anesthesia (CRNA) command higher compensation. Geographic location also plays a significant role, with California, New York, and Massachusetts offering the highest RN wages.
When evaluating nursing programs, ACEN or CCNE accreditation is non-negotiable: it is required for NCLEX licensure eligibility and future graduate study. Look at NCLEX first-time pass rates, which are publicly reported and reflect how well a program prepares students for licensure. Clinical placement quality and hospital partnerships matter, as does the faculty-to-student ratio in simulation labs. The earnings data on this page reflects actual graduate outcomes, helping you identify which schools produce nurses who advance fastest into higher-paying roles.
Earnings shown are median graduate earnings 4 years after graduation (or 1 year if 4-year data is unavailable), sourced from the College Scorecard.See full major data
Explore All Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Programs
See earnings data for all 990 schools offering Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, including debt figures and graduate counts.
View Full Major DataCompare Schools Side by Side
Use our compare tool to see detailed breakdowns of admissions, costs, and outcomes for any combination of schools.
Compare SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
What should I look for in a Nursing program?
Accreditation by ACEN or CCNE is essential: without it, graduates may not be eligible to sit for the NCLEX licensing exam. Look at the program's NCLEX first-time pass rate, quality of clinical placements and hospital affiliations, simulation lab resources, and student-to-faculty ratios. Programs affiliated with large academic medical centers typically offer broader clinical exposure.
What careers can I pursue with a Nursing degree?
A BSN opens positions as a Registered Nurse across hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care, home health, school nursing, and public health. With advanced degrees, nurses become Nurse Practitioners (NP), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Clinical Nurse Specialists, or Nurse Midwives: roles with significantly higher earning potential and clinical autonomy.
How much do Nursing graduates earn?
BSN-prepared RNs earn a national median of approximately $77,000 per year, with significant variation by state and specialty. Nurse Practitioners earn $110,000–$130,000, while CRNAs (the highest-paid advanced practice nurses) average over $200,000. The earnings data on this page reflects actual graduate outcomes from the College Scorecard.