Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Rush University #477 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median $110,508 four years after enrollment, placing Rush University in the 99.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rush University #52 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- Rush University's graduates achieve some of the strongest median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, a reflection of the institution's deep concentration in health sciences and clinical training programs that lead directly into high-demand careers. That earnings strength anchors a composite ranking that places Rush University well above most institutions in the Azimuth coverage set for overall return on investment.
Azimuth ranks Rush University #477 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private university in Chicago, IL, Rush University is a specialized health sciences institution whose undergraduate enrollment of 138 reflects its focused mission: preparing students for careers in nursing, health sciences, and allied health fields. Where Rush University performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks Rush University #52 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median four-year earnings of $110,508, a figure that reflects the institution's near-total concentration in Health fields, where demand is high and salaries are competitive relative to the broader nonprofit four-year institutions median of $57,042. The institution's program focus means graduates enter labor markets with clear, direct pathways to employment in clinical and health-system roles. Access and scale sit lower in the composite. Rush University enrolls 36.7% Pell Grant recipients and 47.3% first-generation students — figures that reflect both the institution's small size and the financial profile of students drawn to specialized health programs. Azimuth ranks Rush University in the 4.6 percentile for access and the 26.0 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, outcomes shaped by the institution's narrow program footprint rather than by broad enrollment or outreach patterns.
Rush University's cost structure reflects its identity as a specialized health sciences institution with graduate and professional programs alongside undergraduate offerings. The institution's net pricing and debt profile are shaped by the mix of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, as well as the health-professions labor market that graduates enter. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,988, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $24,558; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For the typical graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $110,508, median federal debt of $21,988 projects to a monthly payment of about $248 under standard ten-year repayment. In a downside earnings scenario anchored on Rush's lower-earning program clusters, four-year earnings fall to approximately $85,450, which shifts the real monthly burden and makes income-driven repayment worth considering. In an upside scenario reflecting higher-earning health professions pathways, graduates reach approximately $85,450, which substantially improves debt serviceability. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning and income-driven repayment options — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Rush University is a specialized private university in Chicago, IL, built almost entirely around health sciences — making it a strong fit for students who have already committed to a clinical or health-related career path and want a focused, professionally oriented program rather than a broad liberal arts experience. The earnings case is compelling for this cohort. Graduates earn median $110,508 four years after enrollment, placing Rush University in the 99.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Rush University #52 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access is more limited than at broad-enrollment public institutions. 36.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 47.3% are first-generation students, so the institution serves a narrower socioeconomic range. Median debt at graduation is $21,988, which is worth weighing carefully given the program concentration in fields that often require additional credentialing beyond the bachelor's degree. Fit depends on two realistic filters: students must be oriented toward Health careers specifically, and should be prepared for a clinical, professionally structured environment rather than a traditional campus experience. Students whose goals align with those parameters will find the earnings trajectory and career focus among the strongest available in the Azimuth coverage set.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
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Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Rush University's cost structure reflects its identity as a specialized health sciences institution with graduate and professional programs alongside undergraduate offerings. The institution's net pricing and debt profile are shaped by the mix of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, as well as the health-professions labor market that graduates enter.
Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,988, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $24,558; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For the typical graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $110,508, median federal debt of $21,988 projects to a monthly payment of about $248 under standard ten-year repayment.
In a downside earnings scenario anchored on Rush's lower-earning program clusters, four-year earnings fall to approximately $85,450, which shifts the real monthly burden and makes income-driven repayment worth considering. In an upside scenario reflecting higher-earning health professions pathways, graduates reach approximately $85,450, which substantially improves debt serviceability.
For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning and income-driven repayment options — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $82,000, placing Rush University in the 95th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $60,000 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band), reflecting the concentrated health-sciences focus that channels most graduates directly into clinical and allied health careers with strong starting salaries.
Azimuth ranks Rush University 52th for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 98th percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program lineup at Rush University is tightly concentrated in the health sciences, which shapes both the earnings profile and the career trajectories graduates enter.
Nursing is the largest program by graduate volume, with 1,200 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $85,000 — Azimuth ranks Nursing 12th for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, at 1.8x the national benchmark for the field. Because nearly all degree programs at Rush University feed into licensed clinical or allied health roles in Illinois, the earnings distribution is narrower than at broad-curriculum universities — most graduates land in a similar salary band quickly, with limited dispersion across fields.
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
30 graduates
Rush University is a health-sciences-focused private nonprofit institution in Chicago, with a program portfolio built almost entirely around clinical and applied health fields. Health professions represent the dominant share of degrees conferred, making Rush University one of the most concentrated health-sciences institutions in the Azimuth coverage set.
Across 1 programs serving roughly 30 students annually, the institution's academic identity is defined by depth in clinical training rather than breadth across disciplines. The largest program by graduate volume is Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, which program graduates 30 students and delivers median earnings of $85,450 four years after enrollment.
Azimuth ranks Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, reflecting the strong and consistent labor-market demand for graduates in this field. The highest-earning program, Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, program graduates 30 students with median earnings of $85,450 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions #4 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, a strong result for a program of its scale.
The concentration in health professions reflects a direct alignment with labor-market demand. Clinical and applied health fields consistently rank among the most stable hiring sectors nationally, as described in Azimuth's analysis of [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/).
For students whose academic and career goals center on health sciences, Rush University's focused program portfolio offers a clear, high-return pathway into fields where graduate earnings are both competitive and durable.
