ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing

IL · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing earn a median salary of $70,157 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $76,424. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.6 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$58,563

Typical Career

$70,157

Top Performers

$84,534

Estimated break-even: 5.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$468

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,846. Most students can comfortably afford about a $468 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Illinois buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Management of Companies & Enterprises, Administrative & Support Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 80.5%
Management of Companies & Enterprises 9.0%
Administrative & Support Services 3.7%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$76,424

Nominal: $70,157 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

5.6 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $52,924 $61,511 $70,887
5 Years After Graduation $58,563 $70,157 $84,534
10 Years After Graduation $65,914 $83,881 $110,845

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $70,157 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $70,157 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $76,424 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the nursing programs at Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $61,511, increasing to $70,157 five years post-graduation, and reaching $83,881 ten years later. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation translate to approximately $76,423.75 on a national scale, reflecting a competitive salary in the nursing field despite the cost of living index in Illinois being slightly lower than the national average.

The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, which accounts for 80.5% of placements, followed by 9.0% in Management of Companies & Enterprises, and 3.7% in Administrative & Support Services. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 5.6 years compared to a high school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a nursing degree appears favorable. This suggests that the financial benefits of a nursing career can outweigh the costs of education within a reasonable timeframe.

Compare with Another School

See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.