Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Saint Anthony College of Nursing offers one of the tightest debt-to-earnings packages for nursing in Illinois—graduates leave with $22,500 in loans compared to the $27,000 state median—but there's a significant catch. Starting salaries of $71,970 trail both the Illinois median ($73,156) and national benchmark ($74,888), landing in just the 40th percentile statewide. More puzzling: earnings actually decline to $68,214 by year four, a 5% drop that runs counter to typical career progression. This suggests graduates may be working in lower-acuity settings or part-time arrangements that limit income growth.

The school's 100% admission rate and open-access mission serve a substantial population of students—35% receive Pell grants—but the earnings gap matters in practical terms. Compared to top Illinois programs like Chamberlain ($83,188) or Governors State ($80,391), Saint Anthony graduates earn roughly $12,000-15,000 less annually, which compounds significantly over a career. That's real money for housing, retirement savings, and loan repayment comfort.

The saving grace is that low debt load. At a 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio, these loans remain manageable despite below-average salaries, and new nurses should handle payments without severe budgeting constraints. If your child needs an accessible entry point into nursing and plans to stay in the Rockford area where lower living costs offset the earnings gap, this works. But if maximizing earning potential matters—especially for supporting a family or building wealth—stronger Illinois programs offer meaningfully better returns.