Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at American University of Health Sciences

Nearly $95,000 in starting salary sounds impressive until you compare it to what other California nursing graduates earn. American University of Health Sciences graduates start about $6,000 below the state median, placing them in just the 40th percentile among California nursing programs—despite paying roughly double the typical debt load ($48,000 vs. $25,000 statewide median). While they're outearning the national average by a comfortable margin, that's not the relevant benchmark when you're paying California tuition and entering California's high-wage nursing market.

The debt burden here tells the real story. At 51 cents of debt for every dollar of first-year earnings, graduates face significantly higher financial pressure than peers at Cal State schools, where students typically start at $120,000+ with half the debt. Four years out, earnings do climb to $111,000, but you're still trailing the state median while managing an outsized loan balance. The 100% admission rate and high Pell grant population (46%) suggest this program serves students who may have fewer options, but that doesn't make the financial tradeoff any better.

For California nursing, you want either stronger starting earnings or much lower debt—ideally both. This program delivers neither relative to state alternatives, making it hard to justify the premium price when CSU campuses offer demonstrably better value.