Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Benedictine University

Benedictine University's nursing program lands graduates right at the top of Illinois's competitive nursing landscape—60th percentile statewide—with starting salaries around $80,000. More impressive is the remarkably low debt burden of just $17,188, giving this program one of the best debt-to-earnings ratios you'll find anywhere in nursing. While graduates aren't quite matching the top earner (Chamberlain at $83,000), they're beating most Illinois nursing programs while carrying roughly $10,000 less debt than the state median.

The tradeoff is minimal earnings growth after graduation—just 2% over four years—meaning most financial gains happen immediately upon entering the workforce. For nursing, where salaries often plateau quickly due to standardized hospital pay scales, this isn't unusual. The real story here is financial accessibility: 39% of students receive Pell grants, yet they graduate with manageable debt and strong immediate earning power.

For families prioritizing affordability alongside solid career outcomes, this represents excellent value. Your child enters the workforce earning well above national nursing averages, owes less than half what most nursing grads carry, and can start building wealth immediately rather than spending years digging out of debt.