Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences

Trinity College's nursing program lands squarely in the middle of Illinois options—40th percentile statewide—but trails the state median by nearly $14,000 in first-year earnings. More troubling is the backward trajectory: graduates see their earnings drop 11% by year four, falling from $67,202 to $59,671. That's unusual for nursing, where experience typically commands higher pay. It suggests graduates may be struggling to advance into better-compensated positions or facing regional market constraints in the Quad Cities area.

The program does keep debt relatively controlled at $35,500, yielding a manageable 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio. But when nearby Illinois programs like Governors State ($80,391) and Benedictine ($80,136) deliver $13,000-$20,000 higher starting salaries for similar debt loads, the value gap becomes harder to justify. The high Pell grant percentage (54%) indicates Trinity serves many students with financial need, making that earnings disadvantage particularly consequential.

For families with strong ties to the Rock Island area or those who've secured scholarships bringing costs well below $35,500, this could work—nursing degrees generally remain employable. But most families should seriously compare offers from higher-earning Illinois programs, especially state schools that might offer better salary prospects without requiring relocation away from Illinois's stronger nursing markets.