U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 44 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 56% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $29,764. College Scorecard.
CSU Nursing: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
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.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses CSU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,073 | $44,004 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $9,550 | $46,318 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $11,334 | $54,970 | 1.0 years |
| $75–110k | $13,899 | $67,410 | 1.2 years |
| $110k+ | $28,427 | $137,871 | 2.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 years, the average time graduates took (7% 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 ($92,024) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $56,227 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.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benedictine University | $97,934 | $17,188 | $22,313 | 50% |
| 2 | Chicago State University | $92,024 | $51,937 | $12,335 | 15% |
| 3 | Governors State University | $88,391 | $27,342 | $12,329 | 22% |
| 4 | Loyola University Chicago | $87,922 | $27,000 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 5 | University of St Francis | $87,383 | $30,700 | $13,006 | 67% |
| 6 | Saint Xavier University | $87,170 | $27,188 | $10,970 | 57% |
| 7 | University of Illinois Chicago | $87,037 | $20,500 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 8 | Bradley University | $86,941 | $27,000 | $22,719 | 76% |
| 9 | Western Illinois University | $86,694 | $23,750 | $12,937 | 45% |
| 10 | North Park University | $86,581 | $27,000 | $16,948 | 58% |
| 11 | Lewis University | $85,320 | $27,000 | $17,028 | 67% |
| 12 | Olivet Nazarene University | $84,705 | $27,000 | $20,729 | 61% |
| 13 | Illinois Wesleyan University | $84,527 | $27,000 | $28,199 | 75% |
| 14 | Aurora University | $84,022 | $26,000 | $18,838 | 60% |
| 15 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $83,867 | $23,043 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 16 | Millikin University | $82,200 | $27,000 | $21,989 | 55% |
| 17 | Illinois State University | $81,264 | $23,075 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 18 | Dominican University | $80,703 | $23,083 | $11,745 | 55% |
| 19 | Saint Anthony College of Nursing | $79,997 | $22,500 | — | — |
| 20 | McKendree University | $79,916 | $26,534 | $24,717 | 53% |
| 21 | Trinity Christian College | $79,811 | $27,000 | $19,125 | 58% |
| 22 | St. John's College-Department of Nursing | $79,694 | $27,375 | — | — |
| 23 | Elmhurst University | $79,372 | $25,000 | $24,185 | 70% |
| 24 | Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | $79,303 | $25,571 | — | — |
| 25 | Quincy University | $78,599 | — | $20,359 | 45% |
| 26 | Methodist College | $75,989 | $46,375 | $41,787 | 20% |
| 27 | Roosevelt University | $75,716 | $31,000 | $20,194 | 35% |
| 28 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | $73,765 | $18,500 | — | — |
| 29 | Rockford University | $70,537 | $30,500 | $22,436 | 47% |
7 more Illinois colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Nursing graduates
Registered nurse
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Medical and Health Services Managers
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 CSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About CSU
- Acceptance rate: 43% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 15% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $42,778
- Full cost breakdown · all 29 majors · overview
Related majors at CSU
- Health Administration—
- Health Sciences—
CSU Nursing questions
How much do CSU Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Chicago State University earn a median $92,024 four years after graduating and $63,869 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do CSU Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Chicago State University is $51,937, about 56% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is CSU a good school for Nursing in Illinois?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Chicago State University earn $92,024 four years out, $8,157 above the median for the same major across 29 Illinois colleges ($83,867) and $6,812 above the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does CSU rank for Nursing in Illinois?
Of 29 Illinois colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Chicago State University ranks 2nd. 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 $100,490 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Chicago State University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/chicago-state-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).