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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 5138

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 447 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$120,338 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$120,338Median year-4 earnings

$20,096Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$120,338Median reported earnings · year 4

$125,655Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

85thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

447Reporting programs

447With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $80,951
Federal debt: $24,750
Reporting programs: 69

63 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $79,954
Federal debt: $20,838
Reporting programs: 1,032

1,007 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $86,259
Federal debt: $27,000
Reporting programs: 1,053

1,021 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $142,075
Federal debt: $24,159
Reporting programs: 6

3 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $120,338
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 447

447 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $135,560
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 127

127 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings: $135,340
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 31

31 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $128,518
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 38

38 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $109,913
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 5

5 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$113,161National median$120,33875th percentile$129,967

447 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Albany Medical College$248,309 2University of North Dakota$244,209 3Saint Mary's University of Minnesota$240,586 4Newman University$231,867 5Saint Vincent College$229,621 6Mount Marty University$221,221 7Wake Forest University$221,028 8University of New England$221,022 9Texas Wesleyan University$219,488 10Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science$218,719

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1072 · 22 crosswalk linksRegistered NursesSOC 29-1141 · 21 crosswalk linksNurse PractitionersSOC 29-1171 · 20 crosswalk linksMedical and Health Services ManagersSOC 11-9111 · 3 crosswalk linksNurse AnesthetistsSOC 29-1151 · 1 crosswalk linksNurse MidwivesSOC 29-1161 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR REGISTERED NURSING, NURSING ADMINISTRATION, NURSING RESEARCH AND CLINICAL NURSING

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Albany Medical CollegeMaster's Degree	Albany, NY	$248,309	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
2	University of North DakotaMaster's Degree	Grand Forks, ND	$244,209	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,551
3	Saint Mary's University of MinnesotaMaster's Degree	Winona, MN	$240,586	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,704
4	Newman UniversityMaster's Degree	Wichita, KS	$231,867	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,971
5	Saint Vincent CollegeMaster's Degree	Latrobe, PA	$229,621	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,510
6	Mount Marty UniversityMaster's Degree	Yankton, SD	$221,221	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,227
7	Wake Forest UniversityMaster's Degree	Winston-Salem, NC	$221,028	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,719
8	University of New EnglandMaster's Degree	Biddeford, ME	$221,022	Not available	Baseline needed	$38,107
9	Texas Wesleyan UniversityMaster's Degree	Fort Worth, TX	$219,488	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,066
10	Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and ScienceMaster's Degree	North Chicago, IL	$218,719	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
11	AdventHealth UniversityMaster's Degree	Orlando, FL	$214,531	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,135
12	Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia IncMaster's Degree	Madison, TN	$212,968	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
13	Central Connecticut State UniversityMaster's Degree	New Britain, CT	$209,970	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,857
14	Webster UniversityMaster's Degree	Saint Louis, MO	$201,294	Not available	Baseline needed	$27,047
15	Midwestern University-Downers GroveMaster's Degree	Downers Grove, IL	$198,909	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
16	Midwestern University-GlendaleMaster's Degree	Glendale, AZ	$198,909	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
17	Gannon UniversityMaster's Degree	Erie, PA	$197,954	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,553
18	Medical University of South CarolinaMaster's Degree	Charleston, SC	$187,865	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
19	California State University, FullertonMaster's Degree	Fullerton, CA	$182,816	Not available	Baseline needed	$6,555
20	Loma Linda UniversityMaster's Degree	Loma Linda, CA	$177,247	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
21	San Diego State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Diego, CA	$165,564	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,364
22	University of California, DavisMaster's Degree	Davis, CA	$163,702	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,741
23	Florida State UniversityMaster's Degree	Tallahassee, FL	$162,329	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,297
24	University of Southern CaliforniaMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$161,128	Not available	Baseline needed	$32,740
25	Touro University CaliforniaMaster's Degree	Vallejo, CA	$159,592	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
26	Touro University NevadaMaster's Degree	Henderson, NV	$159,592	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
27	University of California, San FranciscoMaster's Degree	San Francisco, CA	$159,229	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
28	York College of PennsylvaniaMaster's Degree	York, PA	$159,209	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,556
29	Samuel Merritt UniversityMaster's Degree	Oakland, CA	$155,587	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
30	Fresno Pacific UniversityMaster's Degree	Fresno, CA	$155,201	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,630
31	St. Joseph's University-New YorkMaster's Degree	Brooklyn, NY	$153,908	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,035
32	San Francisco State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Francisco, CA	$152,207	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,278
33	Hofstra UniversityMaster's Degree	Hempstead, NY	$151,333	Not available	Baseline needed	$34,176
34	California State University, Dominguez HillsMaster's Degree	Carson, CA	$151,224	Not available	Baseline needed	$8,615
35	New York UniversityMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$151,024	Not available	Baseline needed	$37,050
36	Dominican University New YorkMaster's Degree	Orangeburg, NY	$150,101	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,832
37	California State University, San MarcosMaster's Degree	San Marcos, CA	$148,800	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,229
38	Molloy UniversityMaster's Degree	Rockville Centre, NY	$148,040	Not available	Baseline needed	$24,347
39	University of San FranciscoMaster's Degree	San Francisco, CA	$147,482	Not available	Baseline needed	$41,431
40	California State University, FresnoMaster's Degree	Fresno, CA	$147,082	Not available	Baseline needed	$7,000
41	Youngstown State UniversityMaster's Degree	Youngstown, OH	$147,080	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,767
42	Charles R Drew University of Medicine and ScienceMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$146,374	Not available	Baseline needed	$35,558
43	Arkansas State UniversityMaster's Degree	Jonesboro, AR	$146,230	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,366
44	University of Akron Main CampusMaster's Degree	Akron, OH	$146,142	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,946
45	Wagner CollegeMaster's Degree	Staten Island, NY	$145,987	Not available	Baseline needed	$28,241
46	Barry UniversityMaster's Degree	Miami, FL	$145,767	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,613
47	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan CampusMaster's Degree	Teaneck, NJ	$145,105	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,404
48	Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham CampusMaster's Degree	Madison, NJ	$145,105	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,829
49	CUNY Lehman CollegeMaster's Degree	Bronx, NY	$144,722	Not available	Baseline needed	$3,148
50	Sonoma State UniversityMaster's Degree	Rohnert Park, CA	$144,371	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,885
51	Long Island UniversityMaster's Degree	Brookville, NY	$144,347	Not available	Baseline needed	$33,062
52	Azusa Pacific UniversityMaster's Degree	Azusa, CA	$143,392	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,212
53	Northeastern UniversityMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$143,345	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,915
54	Northeastern University Professional ProgramsMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$143,345	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
55	United States UniversityMaster's Degree	Sandy Springs, CA	$143,181	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
56	CUNY Hunter CollegeMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$142,731	Not available	Baseline needed	$2,984
57	SUNY Downstate Health Sciences UniversityMaster's Degree	Brooklyn, NY	$142,553	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
58	Columbia University in the City of New YorkMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$142,412	Not available	Baseline needed	$21,590
59	Oregon Health & Science UniversityMaster's Degree	Portland, OR	$141,879	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
60	University of Nevada-Las VegasMaster's Degree	Las Vegas, NV	$141,227	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,359
61	Pace UniversityMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$140,738	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,892
62	Felician UniversityMaster's Degree	Lodi, NJ	$139,444	Not available	Baseline needed	$40,045
63	University of Missouri-Kansas CityMaster's Degree	Kansas City, MO	$139,097	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,310
64	University of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolMaster's Degree	Worcester, MA	$138,993	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
65	California State University, Long BeachMaster's Degree	Long Beach, CA	$138,776	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,440
66	Rhode Island CollegeMaster's Degree	Providence, RI	$138,536	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,478
67	Southern Connecticut State UniversityMaster's Degree	New Haven, CT	$138,364	Not available	Baseline needed	$20,857
68	Adelphi UniversityMaster's Degree	Garden City, NY	$137,582	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,783
69	University of Washington-Seattle CampusMaster's Degree	Seattle, WA	$137,533	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,091
70	University of Washington-Bothell CampusMaster's Degree	Bothell, WA	$137,533	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,319
71	University of Washington-Tacoma CampusMaster's Degree	Tacoma, WA	$137,533	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,163
72	Wayne State UniversityMaster's Degree	Detroit, MI	$137,480	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,766
73	California State University, Los AngelesMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$137,184	Not available	Baseline needed	$3,967
74	William Paterson University of New JerseyMaster's Degree	Wayne, NJ	$137,010	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,745
75	University of California, Los AngelesMaster's Degree	Los Angeles, CA	$136,869	Not available	Baseline needed	$12,548
76	Monmouth UniversityMaster's Degree	West Long Branch, NJ	$136,857	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,988
77	West Coast University-TexasMaster's Degree	Richardson, TX	$136,520	Not available	Baseline needed	$53,020
78	West Coast University-Anaheim-Orange CountyMaster's Degree	Anaheim, CA	$136,520	Not available	Baseline needed	$32,879
79	University of KansasMaster's Degree	Lawrence, KS	$136,168	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,059
80	Mount Saint Mary CollegeMaster's Degree	Newburgh, NY	$135,843	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,522
81	Bowie State UniversityMaster's Degree	Bowie, MD	$135,681	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,298
82	Russell Sage CollegeMaster's Degree	Troy, NY	$135,279	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,917
83	Rowan UniversityMaster's Degree	Glassboro, NJ	$134,810	Not available	Baseline needed	$22,408
84	Virginia Commonwealth UniversityMaster's Degree	Richmond, VA	$134,661	Not available	Baseline needed	$23,433
85	Winona State UniversityMaster's Degree	Winona, MN	$134,654	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,503
86	Stony Brook UniversityMaster's Degree	Stony Brook, NY	$134,363	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,784
87	California Baptist UniversityMaster's Degree	Riverside, CA	$134,166	Not available	Baseline needed	$26,285
88	Gonzaga UniversityMaster's Degree	Spokane, WA	$133,955	Not available	Baseline needed	$35,119
89	University of DelawareMaster's Degree	Newark, DE	$133,949	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,799
90	La Salle UniversityMaster's Degree	Philadelphia, PA	$133,908	Not available	Baseline needed	$19,409
91	Regis UniversityMaster's Degree	Denver, CO	$133,420	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,397
92	University of ConnecticutMaster's Degree	Storrs, CT	$133,363	Not available	Baseline needed	$25,097
93	University of Connecticut-Waterbury CampusMaster's Degree	Waterbury, CT	$133,363	Not available	Baseline needed	$10,875
94	University of Connecticut-Avery PointMaster's Degree	Groton, CT	$133,363	Not available	Baseline needed	$13,807
95	University of Connecticut-StamfordMaster's Degree	Stamford, CT	$133,363	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,798
96	University of Connecticut-Hartford CampusMaster's Degree	Hartford, CT	$133,363	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,403
97	Western University of Health SciencesMaster's Degree	Pomona, CA	$132,638	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
98	Midwestern State UniversityMaster's Degree	Wichita Falls, TX	$132,498	Not available	Baseline needed	$11,656
99	Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesMaster's Degree	Boston, MA	$132,366	Not available	Baseline needed	$39,545
100	Angelo State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Angelo, TX	$132,218	Not available	Baseline needed	$15,091

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.