Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Arkansas State University

Arkansas State's nursing program graduates start strong at $73,423—above the state median of $69,618 and ranking in the 60th percentile among Arkansas nursing programs. However, that initial advantage evaporates quickly: by year four, earnings drop to $64,306, falling below where they started and significantly trailing both state and national benchmarks. This backward trajectory is unusual for nursing, where experience typically commands higher pay.

The debt picture is manageable at $26,355, translating to just 36 cents owed for every dollar earned in year one. That's reasonable leverage for entering a stable profession. But the earnings decline raises questions about whether graduates are struggling to advance into higher-paying specialties or hospital settings, getting stuck in lower-tier positions, or leaving bedside nursing earlier than peers. For context, University of Arkansas at Little Rock nursing graduates earn $78,898 at the same career stage—over $14,000 more annually.

If your child plans to stay in Arkansas and work in entry-level nursing roles, this program gets them licensed at a fair price. But if career advancement and long-term earning power matter—and they should—this program's downward earnings trend is a red flag worth investigating before committing.