Bradley University Nursing: earnings, debt & careers

Nursing graduates of Bradley University earn a median $86,941 four years after graduating ($73,143 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $27,000. That is $1,729 above the U.S. median for Nursing graduates ($85,212 across 858 colleges), and ranks 8th of 29 Illinois colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$86,941

U.S. median for this major: $85,212.

College Scorecard field of study; 109 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$73,143

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,000

About 31% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$22,719 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $54,730. College Scorecard.

Bradley University Nursing: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Bradley University graduates$86,941
Illinois median (29 colleges)$83,867 (+$3,074)
U.S. median (858 colleges)$85,212 (+$1,729)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Nursing nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Bradley University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$17,269$73,2211.4 years
$30–48k$16,539$70,1251.4 years
$48–75k$18,609$78,9021.5 years
$75–110k$22,954$97,3251.9 years
$110k+$30,008$127,2342.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (57% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Nursing graduates 4 years after graduating ($86,941) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $51,144 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Nursing at Illinois colleges

Every Illinois college we cover that reports Nursing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Benedictine University$97,934$17,188$22,31350%
2Chicago State University$92,024$51,937$12,33515%
3Governors State University$88,391$27,342$12,32922%
4Loyola University Chicago$87,922$27,000$36,07973%
5University of St Francis$87,383$30,700$13,00667%
6Saint Xavier University$87,170$27,188$10,97057%
7University of Illinois Chicago$87,037$20,500$10,97462%
8Bradley University$86,941$27,000$22,71976%
9Western Illinois University$86,694$23,750$12,93745%
10North Park University$86,581$27,000$16,94858%
11Lewis University$85,320$27,000$17,02867%
12Olivet Nazarene University$84,705$27,000$20,72961%
13Illinois Wesleyan University$84,527$27,000$28,19975%
14Aurora University$84,022$26,000$18,83860%
15Southern Illinois University Edwardsville$83,867$23,043$14,88957%
16Millikin University$82,200$27,000$21,98955%
17Illinois State University$81,264$23,075$19,39865%
18Dominican University$80,703$23,083$11,74555%
19Saint Anthony College of Nursing$79,997$22,500——
20McKendree University$79,916$26,534$24,71753%
21Trinity Christian College$79,811$27,000$19,12558%
22St. John's College-Department of Nursing$79,694$27,375——
23Elmhurst University$79,372$25,000$24,18570%
24Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences$79,303$25,571——
25Quincy University$78,599—$20,35945%
26Methodist College$75,989$46,375$41,78720%
27Roosevelt University$75,716$31,000$20,19435%
28Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing$73,765$18,500——
29Rockford University$70,537$30,500$22,43647%

7 more Illinois colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Nursing graduates

Registered nurse

Peoria area$81,010
Illinois$95,990
U.S.$97,550

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Medical and Health Services Managers

Peoria area$110,510
Illinois$117,850
U.S.$123,860

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +24.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Bradley University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Bradley University

Related majors at Bradley University

  • Public Health—
  • Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities—

Bradley University Nursing questions

How much do Bradley University Nursing graduates earn?

Nursing graduates of Bradley University earn a median $86,941 four years after graduating and $73,143 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.

How much debt do Bradley University Nursing graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Bradley University is $27,000, about 31% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.

Is Bradley University a good school for Nursing in Illinois?

On pay, Nursing graduates of Bradley University earn $86,941 four years out, $3,074 above the median for the same major across 29 Illinois colleges ($83,867) and $1,729 above the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Bradley University rank for Nursing in Illinois?

Of 29 Illinois colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Bradley University ranks 8th. The highest is Benedictine University at $97,934.

What jobs do Nursing graduates get?

A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $81,010 in the Peoria, IL area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Bradley University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bradley-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).