Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Graham Hospital School of Nursing

For parents evaluating Graham Hospital School of Nursing, the data tells a necessarily incomplete story. While the school doesn't report its own graduate outcomes—likely due to small class sizes—similar nursing programs across Illinois suggest first-year earnings around $66,360 against estimated debt of $26,624. That debt figure runs nearly double the state median of $14,500 for associate nursing programs, though it remains manageable with a 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio meaning roughly five months of gross income to cover what's owed.

The earnings picture appears more straightforward: comparable Illinois programs cluster tightly around $66,000-$73,000 for new RNs, with the state median matching the estimated figure here exactly. Graham's 100% admission rate and high proportion of Pell recipients (73%) suggest a mission-driven school focused on access rather than selectivity, which may partly explain higher borrowing among students with fewer financial resources. What you don't know is how Graham's specific training, clinical partnerships, and job placement support compare to programs at nearby community colleges, some of which report stronger earnings with significantly lower debt burdens.

The practical question: Is the additional debt worth it for what Graham specifically offers—perhaps closer clinical rotations, a tight-knit cohort, or connections to local healthcare networks? Without reported outcomes, you're relying on the school's reputation and your student's direct conversations with current students and recent graduates to fill in those gaps.