Nursing Graduate Salaries in Illinois
Federal earnings data for every Illinois college offering Nursing, ranked by 10-year median graduate salary. Sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard — real tax-reported income, not surveys.
Nursing in Illinois. Registered Nursing has 1.4% unemployment and a median salary of $93,600. The U.S. nurse shortage is structural, not cyclical — these jobs aren't going anywhere.
Typical career paths: Registered Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Critical Care Nurse, Pediatric Nurse, Public Health Nurse. Median starting salary range: $70,000–$93,600. School choice can swing graduate earnings by 30–60% — which is why we rank by federal data, not prestige.
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chamberlain University-Illinois Addison, IL | $92,405 | $31,837 |
| 2 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $89,363 | $29,167 |
| 3 | St. John's College-Department of Nursing Springfield, IL | $86,331 | — |
| 4 | Lakeview College of Nursing Danville, IL | $84,522 | — |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | $82,592 | $18,425 |
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $81,054 | $14,355 |
| 7 | Saint Anthony College of Nursing Rockford, IL | $77,709 | — |
| 8 | Rush University Chicago, IL | $75,194 | — |
| 9 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing Peoria, IL | $72,850 | — |
| 10 | Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Quincy, IL | $72,430 | — |
| 11 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | $71,530 | $36,079 |
| 12 | Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL | $70,871 | $28,199 |
| 13 | Methodist College Peoria, IL | $69,800 | $41,787 |
| 14 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | $68,751 | $30,902 |
| 15 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | $68,740 | $10,974 |
| 16 | Bradley University Peoria, IL | $66,852 | $22,719 |
| 17 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL | $66,099 | $17,028 |
| 18 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL | $63,926 | $13,006 |
| 19 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL | $63,756 | $26,975 |
| 20 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL | $63,446 | $22,313 |
| 21 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL | $62,971 | $22,736 |
| 22 | Illinois State University Normal, IL | $62,117 | $19,398 |
| 23 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL | $61,462 | $24,185 |
| 24 | Dominican University River Forest, IL | $60,327 | $11,745 |
| 25 | North Central College Naperville, IL | $60,123 | $21,044 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are 10-year median income for graduates of each institution (all majors, since program-level earnings are released only for select fields). Refreshed every 24 hours.
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Frequently asked questions
What do Nursing graduates earn in Illinois?
The median 10-year earnings for Nursing graduates from Illinois colleges is $58,683, with a range from $26,209 at lower-earning schools to $92,405 at top-earning schools. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Which Illinois school has the highest Nursing graduate salary?
Chamberlain University-Illinois ranks first among Illinois schools offering Nursing, with a 10-year median graduate salary of $92,405.
How is "graduate salary" measured?
These figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. They reflect actual federal tax-reported income of all graduates 10 years after enrollment — including those who pursued graduate school and those who took industry jobs. They are not survey-based.
Are these salaries adjusted for cost of living?
No. These are raw federal earnings figures. Illinois salaries should be considered in context of local cost of living. For example, $90,000 in California has different purchasing power than $90,000 in North Carolina.