Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Abraham Baldwin's nursing program graduates start strong at nearly $67,000 but see their earnings slip to under $63,000 by year four—an unusual trajectory in a field where demand typically drives steady wage growth. This puts the program below average for Georgia nursing schools, landing at the 40th percentile statewide. When you consider that multiple technical colleges in the state are producing graduates earning $15,000-20,000 more annually, that gap becomes harder to justify, especially since the debt load here ($20,563) sits right at the state median.

The 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio looks manageable on paper, and nursing remains one of the more reliable career paths for associate degree holders. However, that backwards earnings trend raises questions about whether graduates are struggling to advance into higher-paying specialties or facilities, or whether local job market constraints in rural South Georgia are limiting opportunities. With robust data from 100+ graduates, this isn't a statistical fluke.

For a nursing student committed to staying in the Tifton area, this program provides a workable entry point to the profession. But families shopping around should know that Georgia offers stronger options—particularly at technical colleges—that deliver substantially better earnings outcomes for comparable or lower debt.