Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

419
Schools
Graduate Certificate
Credential Level
$120,243
National Avg Earnings

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing is tracked across 419 U.S. postsecondary institutions in the College Scorecard field-of-study file, which links CIP code classifications from IPEDS to Treasury earnings records. This profile covers the graduate certificate credential level specifically, because the Department of Education reports program-level outcomes separately for associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral awards. The CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) taxonomy lets analysts roll up specialties into broader families, which is why earnings medians across schools can be compared on a common basis.

Across all reporting institutions, the mean of school-level medians is $120,243, calculated from 64 schools with published earnings data. The earnings distribution stretches from $45,111 at the low end to $187,932 at the top, with a 25th-75th percentile band between $107,900 and $134,116 around a median of $120,256. The top-reporting institution in this program is Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science at $187,932. These numbers reflect earnings measured roughly a year after completion, using Social Security Administration tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants.

Variation across schools matters more than a single national figure. Completers counts reported per school indicate how many graduates’ earnings feed the median, which means small programs produce more volatile numbers. Median debt at the program level, when paired with earnings, yields a debt-to-earnings ratio that is the College Scorecard’s standard affordability signal – ratios under 1.0 indicate earnings exceed cumulative debt. Use the school-by-school table to spot institutions where Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates out-earn peers at comparable cost, and to surface gainful-employment patterns that only become visible at the CIP-code level.

Maryville University of Saint Louis accounts for 15.2% of all Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduate certificate credential graduates

That concentration — well above the 5% national median for largest-entity share means Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. That school produced 336 graduates in the most recent cohort, anchoring a meaningful slice of national supply for this field. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduate certificate credential median earnings varies 4.2× across entities

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduate certificate credential median earnings ranges from $45,111 (lowest) to $187,932 (highest), a spread of $142,821. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme earnings stratification across institutions, graduates of the same field can earn dramatically different starting salaries depending on the school’s reputation, regional employer mix, and selectivity. Earnings are measured roughly one year after completion using IRS records linked to federal aid recipients (see https://www.irs.gov/) - not all completers are captured, but the school-level medians correlate strongly with longer-term earnings trajectories.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file; U.S. Treasury earnings linkage College Scorecard Field of Study file; U.S. Treasury earnings linkage

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduate certificate credential median debt varies 4.0× across entities

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduate certificate credential median debt ranges from $20,500 (lowest) to $82,650 (highest), a spread of $62,150. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme cost-of-attendance variation, students at the high end accumulate substantially more debt for the same credential, often without proportionally higher post-graduation earnings. Median debt counts only those students who borrowed federal loans, students who paid out-of-pocket or received institutional grants are excluded from the borrower median, which can flatter low-debt schools.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file; IPEDS financial aid data College Scorecard Field of Study file; IPEDS financial aid data

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.33 — low (typically associated with graduates earn substantially more than they borrowed, which is the College Scorecard standard signal for affordability, a ratio under 0.5 means a year of post-completion earnings would clear half the federal-loan principal)

debt-to-earnings ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: this ratio uses federal loan principal, not all education debt, private loans, parent PLUS loans not in the borrower’s name, and institutional debt are excluded Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: College Scorecard Field of Study file College Scorecard Field of Study file

Earnings Distribution

Min
$45,111
25th %ile
$107,900
Median
$120,256
75th %ile
$134,116
Max
$187,932
$45,111 $187,932

Top Schools for This Program

School Name State Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science CA 59 $187,932 $82,650
National University CA 58 $157,271 -
Shenandoah University VA 33 $155,136 $28,198
University of Missouri-St Louis MO 16 $152,441 -
George Washington University DC 25 $146,501 $41,000
Washburn University KS 42 $143,374 $39,292
Regis College MA 151 $142,961 $27,332
Johns Hopkins University MD 49 $142,460 $20,500
University of St Francis IL 23 $141,547 -
Molloy University NY 28 $140,435 -
Grand Canyon University AZ 42 $140,016 $30,520
California State University-Long Beach CA 111 $139,937 $30,500
University of South Carolina-Columbia SC 7 $139,919 -
Duke University NC 95 $137,549 $78,343
Sonoma State University CA 0 $135,372 -
Graceland University-Lamoni IA 16 $134,116 $50,402
Clarkson College NE 10 $134,099 -
Texas Woman's University TX 18 $133,065 -
Maryville University of Saint Louis MO 336 $132,257 $39,028
Frontier Nursing University KY 112 $132,131 $46,128
Mount Saint Mary College NY 5 $131,768 $37,942
Keuka College NY 3 $129,616 -
Rush University IL 11 $127,831 -
University of Iowa IA 14 $127,420 -
University of Kentucky KY 6 $126,624 -
Purdue University Global IN 132 $126,507 $38,154
Western University of Health Sciences CA 31 $126,283 -
University of Phoenix-Arizona AZ 3 $124,271 -
Florida Atlantic University FL 12 $122,359 -
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus NH 51 $121,657 -
South University-Savannah GA 0 $120,256 $46,988
South University-Columbia SC 2 $120,256 $46,988
South University-Tampa FL 3 $120,256 $46,988
South University-Richmond VA 0 $120,256 $46,988
South University-Virginia Beach VA 1 $120,256 $46,988
South University-Savannah Online GA 47 $120,256 $46,988
Wilkes University PA - $118,833 $38,188
Marquette University WI 20 $117,288 $72,661
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH 171 $116,456 $50,998
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO - $116,288 -
Stony Brook University NY 17 $115,339 -
Saint Louis University MO 12 $114,892 -
Eastern Kentucky University KY 13 $110,878 -
Capella University MN 4 $110,330 $35,619
University of South Alabama AL 123 $109,763 -
Kent State University at Kent OH 11 $109,147 -
Herzing University-Birmingham AL 0 $107,900 $29,256
Herzing University-Atlanta GA 0 $107,900 $29,256
Herzing University-Madison WI 51 $107,900 $29,256
Herzing University-Kenosha WI 0 $107,900 $29,256
Herzing University-Brookfield WI 0 $107,900 $29,256
University of Massachusetts-Boston MA 41 $106,814 -
Ursuline College OH 38 $102,412 -
Endicott College MA 1 $101,964 -
Chamberlain University-Illinois IL 94 $101,849 $30,922
University of Alabama in Huntsville AL 6 $100,399 -
University of Toledo OH 16 $99,547 -
Case Western Reserve University OH 9 $94,408 -
California State University-Bakersfield CA - $90,856 -
Olivet Nazarene University IL 3 $88,786 -
Jacksonville University FL 5 $87,420 -
Georgia State University GA 14 $86,129 -
Wright State University-Main Campus OH 8 $56,721 -
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus PR 0 $45,111 -

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates earn?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates earn $120,243 on average across 419 schools. Earnings range from $45,111 to $187,932 depending on the institution.
Which school pays the most for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing?
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science has the highest reported median earnings for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing graduates at $187,932, based on College Scorecard data.
What credential do you get in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing programs typically award a Graduate Certificate credential. Earnings vary by school and credential level.

About This Data

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Median earnings represent graduates who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants. Completers count and debt figures reflect program-level data reported through IPEDS. Data is updated annually.

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching protocol used by the College Scorecard.