Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing: is this first professional degree worth it?
National picture across 31 reporting college programs.
Personal baseline needed
$135,340 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.
$135,340Median year-4 earnings
$20,110Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Observed national outcomes
$135,340Median reported earnings · year 4
$138,712Average reported earnings · year 5
Not availableMedian federal debt
78thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
31Reporting programs
31With year-4 earnings
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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,954
- Federal debt
- $20,838
- Reporting programs
- 1,032
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $86,259
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Reporting programs
- 1,053
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $142,075
- Federal debt
- $24,159
- Reporting programs
- 6
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $120,338
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 447
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $135,560
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 127
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $135,340
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 31
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $128,518
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 38
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $109,913
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 5
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$119,400National median$135,34075th percentile$145,372
31 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Baylor College of Medicine$212,4382Northeastern University$191,0833Northeastern University Professional Programs$191,0834University of Kansas$176,6435University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$155,7986Oregon Health & Science University$152,7227Johns Hopkins University$152,0148University of Maryland Baltimore$150,9979University of San Diego$145,37210Stony Brook University$142,801Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
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
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 | Baylor College of MedicineFirst Professional Degree | Houston, TX | $212,438 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 2 | Northeastern UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Boston, MA | $191,083 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,915 |
| 3 | Northeastern University Professional ProgramsFirst Professional Degree | Boston, MA | $191,083 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 4 | University of KansasFirst Professional Degree | Lawrence, KS | $176,643 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,059 |
| 5 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusFirst Professional Degree | Pittsburgh, PA | $155,798 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,434 |
| 6 | Oregon Health & Science UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Portland, OR | $152,722 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 7 | Johns Hopkins UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Baltimore, MD | $152,014 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,809 |
| 8 | University of Maryland BaltimoreFirst Professional Degree | Baltimore, MD | $150,997 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 9 | University of San DiegoFirst Professional Degree | San Diego, CA | $145,372 | Not available | Baseline needed | $30,365 |
| 10 | Stony Brook UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Stony Brook, NY | $142,801 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,784 |
| 11 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillFirst Professional Degree | Chapel Hill, NC | $142,610 | Not available | Baseline needed | $11,655 |
| 12 | Touro University CaliforniaFirst Professional Degree | Vallejo, CA | $137,825 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 13 | Touro University NevadaFirst Professional Degree | Henderson, NV | $137,825 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 14 | University of Michigan-Ann ArborFirst Professional Degree | Ann Arbor, MI | $137,193 | Not available | Baseline needed | $13,138 |
| 15 | University of FloridaFirst Professional Degree | Gainesville, FL | $136,765 | Not available | Baseline needed | $6,541 |
| 16 | Creighton UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Omaha, NE | $135,340 | Not available | Baseline needed | $31,568 |
| 17 | University of the Incarnate WordFirst Professional Degree | San Antonio, TX | $133,644 | Not available | Baseline needed | $22,775 |
| 18 | Vanderbilt UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Nashville, TN | $133,154 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,846 |
| 19 | Case Western Reserve UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Cleveland, OH | $132,649 | Not available | Baseline needed | $41,190 |
| 20 | The University of Tennessee Health Science CenterFirst Professional Degree | Memphis, TN | $129,208 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 21 | University of Illinois ChicagoFirst Professional Degree | Chicago, IL | $126,442 | Not available | Baseline needed | $10,974 |
| 22 | University of Wisconsin-MadisonFirst Professional Degree | Madison, WI | $122,428 | Not available | Baseline needed | $17,354 |
| 23 | University of KentuckyFirst Professional Degree | Lexington, KY | $119,485 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,851 |
| 24 | Valparaiso UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Valparaiso, IN | $119,400 | Not available | Baseline needed | $18,578 |
| 25 | University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeFirst Professional Degree | Milwaukee, WI | $117,537 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,014 |
| 26 | South Dakota State UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Brookings, SD | $117,505 | Not available | Baseline needed | $19,841 |
| 27 | University of Nebraska Medical CenterFirst Professional Degree | Omaha, NE | $115,780 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 28 | University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences CenterFirst Professional Degree | Oklahoma City, OK | $115,460 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
| 29 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusFirst Professional Degree | Norman, OK | $115,460 | Not available | Baseline needed | $15,300 |
| 30 | Grand Valley State UniversityFirst Professional Degree | Allendale, MI | $112,011 | Not available | Baseline needed | $16,317 |
| 31 | University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesFirst Professional Degree | Little Rock, AR | $104,643 | Not available | Baseline needed | Not available |
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.