Nursing graduates earn $88,910 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 41.0%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Nurse Practitioner is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
This page covers Nursing as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Health and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Nursing is a focused area of study within Health. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $88,910 four years out, a strong return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 2,190 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 308,114 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Training is clinical and hands-on, often leading to licensure or certification.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$75,072
Median Earnings · 4yr
$88,910
Colleges Offering
2,190
Graduates / Year
308,114
Avg Net Price / yr
$21,810
How Much Do Nursing Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Nursing, a typical graduate earns $88,910, well above average for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $67,853 and $114,470, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Source: College Scorecard.
Earnings in this field tend to be stable early on. Expect the four-year median to closely reflect your long-term starting point.
$88,910
4-Year National Median
Well above average for college graduates.
$86,258
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Nursing graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Specialization and credential level drive most of the gap. Advanced practice roles (nurse practitioners, CRNAs, physician assistants) anchor the top; entry-level clinical and support roles sit at the bottom.
$67,85325th pct.
$88,910Median
$114,47075th pct.
Why This Program Pays Off Fast
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $88,910 against an estimated $87,240 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 1,248 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 308,114 students who complete Nursing programs each year, the majority (50%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
27%50%
Bachelor's50%
Associate's27%
Master's16%
What Can You Do With a Nursing Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Nursing graduates show up in 6 different occupations, and Nurse Anesthetist pays the most at $236,590/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive LearningMonitoringComplex Problem Solving
Day-to-day responsibilities
Administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. May assist anesthesiologists, surgeons, other physicians, or dentists. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
Respond to emergency situations by providing airway management, administering emergency fluids or drugs, or using basic or advanced cardiac life support techniques.
Monitor patients' responses, including skin color, pupil dilation, pulse, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, ventilation, or urine output, using invasive and noninvasive techniques.
Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. May provide well-woman gynecological care. Must have specialized, graduate nursing education.
Provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients.
Monitor fetal development by listening to fetal heartbeat, taking external uterine measurements, identifying fetal position, or estimating fetal size and weight.
Document patients' health histories, symptoms, physical conditions, or other diagnostic information.
Critical ThinkingActive ListeningReading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingMonitoring
Day-to-day responsibilities
Diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a healthcare team. May focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostic tests such as lab work and x rays. May prescribe medication. Must be registered nurses who have specialized graduate education.
Maintain complete and detailed records of patients' health care plans and prognoses.
Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public health agencies, or similar organizations.
Direct, supervise and evaluate work activities of medical, nursing, technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel.
Develop and maintain computerized record management systems to store and process data, such as personnel activities and information, and to produce reports.
Plan, implement, and administer programs and services in a health care or medical facility, including personnel administration, training, and coordination of medical, nursing and physical plant staff.
Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessSpeakingReading ComprehensionService Orientation
Day-to-day responsibilities
Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Administer nursing care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients. May advise patients on health maintenance and disease prevention or provide case management. Licensing or registration required.
Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers.
Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Top Colleges for Nursing
Not sure where to study Nursing? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Nursing graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Health Programs
Nursing is not the only path through Health: 30 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Nursing program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Strong earnings and positive career growth make Nursing a solid option. The 4 strengths and 3 trade-offs below are data-sourced from College Scorecard, BLS, and IPEDS.
PROS
Strong median salaryGraduates earn $88,910 nationally four years out, placing this field above most degree programs in the country.
Fast-growing fieldRelated careers are projected to grow up to +41.0% over the next decade, with Nurse Practitioner among the fastest-growing roles.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 283,800 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
Wide availabilityOffered at 2,190 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.
CONS
Licensure often requiredMost roles in this field require state licensure or certification before you can practice. Budget time and costs for board exams alongside your degree.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Highly competitive market308,114 students graduate from this program every year, one of the higher volumes nationally. Entry-level competition can be stiff.
Nursing Degree: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Nursing graduates earn?
$88,910 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $67,853 and $114,470, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Nursing degree?
$75,072 in the first year out. That grows to $88,910 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Nursing degree?
Nurse Anesthetist is one path, and it pays a median of $236,590 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Nursing program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Nursing bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Nursing?
2,190 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Nursing degree worth it?
$88,910 median earnings four years out against $21,810 a year in average net price. That is a fast payback, and it holds up especially well at lower-cost schools. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Nursing and Health?
Nursing is the narrower of the two: Health covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Nursing-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Nursing graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Nursing graduates consistently look for clinical judgment, patient communication, and evidence-based decision-making. Licensure, certifications, and supervised clinical hours are typically required or strongly preferred in most roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Nursing graduates?
Often, yes. Advanced degrees in this field (nurse practitioner, physician assistant, doctor of physical therapy) typically come with significantly higher pay and a wider scope of practice, which is why most students in health fields eventually go back for one. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
What is the job outlook for Nursing graduates?
Outlook is strong overall: related occupations average +18.2% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Nurse Practitioner is among the strongest-growth roles at +41.0%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Health Programs
Other programs in Health. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Choose a Major Pillar
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
The real cost of a second major, when it pays back and when it doesn't, and why a focused single major with a relevant minor often beats a double major.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
All 38 Majors, Ranked by What Graduates Earn
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
Major earnings
Highest paying majors
Job growth
STEM
Field of study
Does Engineering Tech Out-Earn Engineering? The Data Says No
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
Engineering
Program earnings
Applied degree
Technician careers
STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
Engineering pay
Computer science
Program earnings
Major choice
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
