Field of study · CIP 51.38
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Offered at 4,064 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 126 | $79,288 | $83,060 | $25,511 |
| Associate | 1,144 | $74,459 | $80,901 | $20,599 |
| Bachelor's | 1,203 | $80,718 | $87,377 | $27,000 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 12 | $100,239 | — | $24,573 |
| Master's | 653 | $107,526 | $122,709 | — |
| Doctoral | 278 | $133,873 | $136,611 | — |
| Professional | 321 | $120,985 | $140,440 | — |
| Graduate certificate | 327 | $128,021 | $130,918 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
Our read
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $79,288, versus $80,718 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gavilan College | CA | — | $138,609 | — |
| 2 | Rivier University | NH | $135,586 | — | $23,782 |
| 3 | Barry University | FL | $131,133 | — | — |
| 4 | Xavier College School of Nursing | CA | $127,429 | — | — |
| 5 | Cabrillo College | CA | $107,167 | $124,015 | $16,500 |
| 6 | Riverside City College | CA | — | $120,163 | — |
| 7 | Delaware County Community College | PA | $120,063 | — | $27,125 |
| 8 | Clackamas Community College | OR | — | $111,783 | — |
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | PA | $95,718 | $103,821 | $27,000 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | PA | $95,718 | $103,821 | $27,000 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | PA | $95,718 | $103,821 | $27,000 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly | PA | $95,718 | $103,821 | $27,000 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $95,718 | $103,821 | $27,000 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | PA | $95,718 | $103,821 | $27,000 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | PA | $95,718 | $103,821 | $27,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mission College | CA | — | $160,509 | $13,841 |
| 2 | De Anza College | CA | — | $157,034 | $18,000 |
| 3 | Contra Costa College | CA | — | $150,601 | — |
| 4 | Los Medanos College | CA | — | $144,978 | — |
| 5 | Chabot College | CA | $117,900 | $144,167 | — |
| 6 | College of San Mateo | CA | — | $140,987 | $17,125 |
| 7 | Yuba College | CA | $126,376 | $140,545 | $13,500 |
| 8 | Carrington College-Sacramento | CA | $127,627 | $140,544 | $35,314 |
| 9 | City College of San Francisco | CA | $132,732 | $140,093 | $19,000 |
| 10 | San Joaquin Delta College | CA | — | $137,781 | $11,503 |
| 11 | Pacific Union College | CA | $104,807 | $137,041 | $30,985 |
| 12 | Sacramento City College | CA | $107,620 | $136,056 | $10,750 |
| 13 | Columbia College | CA | $135,014 | — | — |
| 14 | Solano Community College | CA | $102,697 | $134,140 | $14,358 |
| 15 | Evergreen Valley College | CA | $110,166 | $133,905 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco State University | CA | $145,008 | $159,614 | $16,485 |
| 2 | San Jose State University | CA | — | $157,894 | $17,999 |
| 3 | University of San Francisco | CA | $120,438 | $156,479 | $25,250 |
| 4 | California State University-East Bay | CA | $139,123 | $153,321 | $22,991 |
| 5 | Sonoma State University | CA | $134,423 | $148,502 | $24,985 |
| 6 | Samuel Merritt University | CA | $138,536 | $147,607 | $25,937 |
| 7 | Dominican University of California | CA | $128,516 | $145,714 | $27,000 |
| 8 | Unitek College | CA | $143,152 | — | $50,177 |
| 9 | Pacific College | CA | — | $141,493 | $37,232 |
| 10 | St. Francis College | NY | $92,749 | $139,024 | $26,305 |
| 11 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $132,168 | $137,886 | $13,500 |
| 12 | California State University-Monterey Bay | CA | $127,203 | $137,644 | $15,125 |
| 13 | Mercy University | NY | $103,248 | $133,672 | $29,750 |
| 14 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | $116,349 | $131,815 | $13,000 |
| 15 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $98,398 | $129,330 | $14,500 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emory University | GA | — | $147,557 | — |
| 2 | University of Miami | FL | $144,671 | — | $26,656 |
| 3 | Florida State University | FL | $134,238 | — | $23,639 |
| 4 | Duke University | NC | $122,097 | — | — |
| 5 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | $78,382 | — | $25,774 |
| 6 | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science | MN | $75,594 | — | $27,000 |
| 7 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | $72,431 | — | $27,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | MN | $249,362 | $262,438 | — |
| 2 | Midwestern University-Downers Grove | IL | — | $257,255 | — |
| 3 | Midwestern University-Glendale | AZ | — | $257,255 | — |
| 4 | Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science | IL | — | $253,666 | — |
| 5 | Wake Forest University | NC | $217,487 | $250,228 | — |
| 6 | Albany Medical College | NY | $265,024 | $249,610 | — |
| 7 | University of New England | ME | $253,529 | $248,419 | — |
| 8 | Central Connecticut State University | CT | — | $233,417 | — |
| 9 | Mount Marty University | SD | $118,003 | $221,873 | — |
| 10 | Texas Wesleyan University | TX | $216,030 | $218,997 | — |
| 11 | University of Southern California | CA | $123,133 | $215,857 | — |
| 12 | Newman University | KS | $188,757 | $213,088 | — |
| 13 | Gannon University | PA | $237,113 | $197,687 | — |
| 14 | Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | LA | — | $196,815 | — |
| 15 | Medical University of South Carolina | SC | $93,035 | $194,903 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning doctoral programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne | IN | $256,609 | — | — |
| 2 | Oakland University | MI | $255,893 | — | — |
| 3 | Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | LA | $254,012 | — | — |
| 4 | Webster University | MO | $249,071 | — | — |
| 5 | Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science | IL | $239,872 | $248,254 | — |
| 6 | Central Connecticut State University | CT | $248,196 | — | — |
| 7 | Millikin University | IL | $247,470 | — | — |
| 8 | Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science | MN | $228,317 | $237,418 | — |
| 9 | University of Scranton | PA | $233,953 | — | — |
| 10 | Bryan College of Health Sciences | NE | $241,269 | $232,092 | — |
| 11 | Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | $222,972 | $229,889 | — |
| 12 | Villanova University | PA | $229,552 | — | — |
| 13 | Marshall University | WV | $215,566 | $228,788 | — |
| 14 | AdventHealth University | FL | $226,218 | — | — |
| 15 | Mount Marty University | SD | $224,939 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning professional programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baylor College of Medicine | TX | $231,678 | $232,843 | — |
| 2 | Northeastern University | MA | $257,670 | $181,675 | — |
| 3 | Northeastern University Professional Programs | MA | $257,670 | $181,675 | — |
| 4 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $120,985 | $174,978 | — |
| 5 | University of Kansas | KS | $147,653 | $160,095 | — |
| 6 | University of Maryland Baltimore | MD | $131,344 | $159,709 | — |
| 7 | Oregon Health & Science University | OR | $133,933 | $157,653 | — |
| 8 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $139,575 | $152,471 | — |
| 9 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus | NM | $151,448 | — | — |
| 10 | University of Illinois Chicago | IL | $116,267 | $149,154 | — |
| 11 | Stony Brook University | NY | $141,429 | $148,417 | — |
| 12 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | $189,833 | $148,407 | — |
| 13 | University of Nebraska Medical Center | NE | $111,703 | $140,657 | — |
| 14 | Touro University California | CA | $144,838 | $140,440 | — |
| 15 | Touro University Nevada | NV | $144,838 | $140,440 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-San Francisco | CA | $182,992 | — | — |
| 2 | Molloy University | NY | $168,147 | — | — |
| 3 | University of St Francis | IL | — | $161,171 | — |
| 4 | Pace University | NY | $160,487 | — | — |
| 5 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | $158,865 | — | — |
| 6 | Shenandoah University | VA | $115,039 | $151,258 | — |
| 7 | National University | CA | $151,215 | — | — |
| 8 | Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science | CA | $131,504 | $150,001 | — |
| 9 | Rush University | IL | $149,418 | — | — |
| 10 | Clarkson College | NE | $113,549 | $145,551 | — |
| 11 | University of Saint Joseph | CT | $145,184 | — | — |
| 12 | George Washington University | DC | $130,784 | $144,767 | — |
| 13 | University of Iowa | IA | $142,107 | — | — |
| 14 | Keuka College | NY | — | $141,837 | — |
| 15 | Duke University | NC | — | $141,043 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $61,507Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $64,236DentistryBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral SciencesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings —Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $69,646Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $61,968Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $66,568Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's typical 5-yr earnings $76,549
Quick answers
- How much do registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing reports median earnings of $80,718. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
