Best Schools for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates earn a median of $64,009 within two years of graduation, ranking #25 out of 292 tracked majors — 80% above the median across all fields. There are 896 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 311,992 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: California State University-East Bay graduates earn $113,585 while Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce graduates earn $9,348 — a $104,237 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates see an average 0% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

896
Schools
$64,009
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#25
of 292 Majors
311,992
Graduates

Public vs Private: Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Public (341 schools)
$64,688
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (401 schools)
$63,097
avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools produce comparable or higher early earnings for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, often at lower tuition — making them strong value options for this major.

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing by State

Top Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
C

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA · Public

$113,585
2yr Earnings
1yr: $99,479
Grads: 270
Acceptance: 96.8%
#2
S

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA · Public

$111,769
2yr Earnings
1yr: $99,655
Grads: 119
Acceptance: 96.2%
#3
S

Samuel Merritt University

Oakland, CA ·

$110,846
2yr Earnings
1yr: $101,572
Grads: 585
Acceptance: N/A
#4
S

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA · Public

$110,432
2yr Earnings
1yr: $110,859
Grads: 79
Acceptance: 94.7%
#5
C

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA · Public

$108,495
2yr Earnings
1yr: $105,852
Grads: 258
Acceptance: 93.6%
#6
P

Pacific College

Costa Mesa, CA · For-Profit

$101,406
2yr Earnings
1yr: $114,248
Grads: 29
Acceptance: 50.0%
#7
F

Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA · Private

$100,849
2yr Earnings
1yr: $85,190
Grads: 35
Acceptance: 57.5%
#8
U

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA · Private

$100,292
2yr Earnings
1yr: $91,668
Grads: 279
Acceptance: 50.8%
#9
U

University of Providence

Great Falls, MT · Private

$100,128
2yr Earnings
1yr: $99,225
Grads: 71
Acceptance: 64.2%
#10
C

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA · Public

$99,447
2yr Earnings
1yr: $98,218
Grads: 143
Acceptance: 97.5%
#11
M

Mercy University

Dobbs Ferry, NY · Private

$97,959
2yr Earnings
1yr: $115,215
Grads: 50
Acceptance: 85.5%
#12
S

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN · Private

$97,071
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,392
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 88.8%
#13
W

Wagner College

Staten Island, NY · Private

$95,910
2yr Earnings
1yr: $98,065
Grads: 179
Acceptance: 83.5%
#14
C

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA · Public

$95,797
2yr Earnings
1yr: $94,107
Grads: 159
Acceptance: 93.7%
#15
C

CUNY Lehman College

Bronx, NY · Public

$95,348
2yr Earnings
1yr: $89,786
Grads: 282
Acceptance: 55.4%
#16
S

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Brooklyn, NY ·

$95,348
2yr Earnings
1yr: $96,869
Grads: 176
Acceptance: N/A
#17
C

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, NY · Public

$94,579
2yr Earnings
1yr: $97,852
Grads: 140
Acceptance: N/A
#18
L

Long Island University

Brookville, NY · Private

$94,508
2yr Earnings
1yr: $94,012
Grads: 399
Acceptance: 89.8%
#19
C

CUNY Hunter College

New York, NY · Public

$94,255
2yr Earnings
1yr: $91,886
Grads: 200
Acceptance: 54.0%
#20
N

New York University

New York, NY · Private

$94,243
2yr Earnings
1yr: $93,346
Grads: 652
Acceptance: 9.4%
#21
C

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA · Public

$93,875
2yr Earnings
1yr: $102,298
Grads: 165
Acceptance: 91.3%
#22
H

Helene Fuld College of Nursing

New York, NY · Private

$93,816
2yr Earnings
1yr: $102,810
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 23.8%
#23
S

St. Francis College

Brooklyn, NY · Private

$93,520
2yr Earnings
1yr: $93,866
Grads: 34
Acceptance: N/A
#24
F

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, NY · Public

$93,439
2yr Earnings
1yr: $93,684
Grads: 114
Acceptance: 69.1%
#25
P

Pacific Union College

Angwin, CA · Private

$92,410
2yr Earnings
1yr: $92,597
Grads: 73
Acceptance: 42.5%
#26
S

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public

$92,277
2yr Earnings
1yr: $89,196
Grads: 113
Acceptance: 80.2%
#27
C

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA · Public

$92,124
2yr Earnings
1yr: $89,831
Grads: 144
Acceptance: 93.2%
#28
N

New York Institute of Technology

Old Westbury, NY · Private

$91,744
2yr Earnings
1yr: $84,587
Grads: 70
Acceptance: 78.1%
#29
V

Vanguard University of Southern California

Costa Mesa, CA · Private

$91,300
2yr Earnings
1yr: $91,857
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 64.7%
#30
M

Molloy University

Rockville Centre, NY · Private

$90,956
2yr Earnings
1yr: $92,243
Grads: 588
Acceptance: 75.6%
#31
E

Emmanuel College

Boston, MA · Private

$90,856
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 80.6%
#32
C

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY · Private

$90,856
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 4.2%
#33
P

Pace University

New York, NY · Private

$90,727
2yr Earnings
1yr: $93,622
Grads: 231
Acceptance: 77.1%
#34
U

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$90,678
2yr Earnings
1yr: $88,168
Grads: 69
Acceptance: 8.7%
#35
B

Bay State College

Boston, MA · For-Profit

$90,637
2yr Earnings
1yr: $82,430
Grads: 52
Acceptance: N/A
#36
A

Adelphi University

Garden City, NY · Private

$90,625
2yr Earnings
1yr: $91,066
Grads: 566
Acceptance: 77.5%
#37
E

Empire State University

Saratoga Springs, NY ·

$89,879
2yr Earnings
1yr: $78,762
Grads: 150
Acceptance: N/A
#38
L

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA ·

$89,658
2yr Earnings
1yr: $93,366
Grads: 249
Acceptance: N/A
#39
C

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA · Public

$89,613
2yr Earnings
1yr: $91,801
Grads: 150
Acceptance: 93.1%
#40
A

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA · Private

$89,570
2yr Earnings
1yr: $90,222
Grads: 534
Acceptance: 79.5%
#41
C

CUNY Medgar Evers College

Brooklyn, NY · Public

$89,044
2yr Earnings
1yr: $94,129
Grads: 46
Acceptance: 83.4%
#42
A

Alliance University

New York, NY · Private

$88,970
2yr Earnings
1yr: $87,287
Grads: 22
Acceptance: N/A
#43
C

CUNY Graduate School and University Center

New York, NY · Public

$88,786
2yr Earnings
1yr: $94,707
Grads: 117
Acceptance: 38.6%
#44
C

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA · Public

$88,739
2yr Earnings
1yr: $79,025
Grads: 155
Acceptance: 98.3%
#45
D

Dominican University of California

San Rafael, CA · Private

$88,637
2yr Earnings
1yr: $89,815
Grads: 153
Acceptance: 95.6%
#46
C

CUNY New York City College of Technology

Brooklyn, NY · Public

$88,399
2yr Earnings
1yr: $89,546
Grads: 112
Acceptance: 80.7%
#47
U

University of Phoenix-Hawaii

Kapolei, HI ·

$88,250
2yr Earnings
1yr: $86,805
Grads: 1,322
Acceptance: N/A
#48
U

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ ·

$88,250
2yr Earnings
1yr: $86,805
Grads: 1,322
Acceptance: N/A
#49
U

University of Phoenix-California

Ontario, CA ·

$88,250
2yr Earnings
1yr: $86,805
Grads: 1,322
Acceptance: N/A
#50
C

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA · Public

$88,074
2yr Earnings
1yr: $90,827
Grads: 504
Acceptance: 95.7%

Showing top 50 of 896 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing?
California State University-East Bay ranks #1 for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing with median graduate earnings of $113,585 within two years. There are 896 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates earn?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates earn an average of $64,009 within two years of graduation. This is 80% above the median across all majors. Earnings range from $9,348 to $113,585 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program?
The average acceptance rate across Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing programs is 76.2%. The most selective program is at Columbia University in the City of New York with a 4.2% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing?
Private Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing programs average $63,097 in early earnings vs $64,688 at public schools. Public schools offer competitive earnings at typically lower cost, making them strong value options.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

Get Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Career Insights

We're building major-specific salary reports with ROI by school. Be the first to get yours.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.