Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Belanger School of Nursing

Small nursing programs often face reporting challenges, which is why Belanger's outcomes are estimated from similar associate-degree nursing programs across New York. Those peer programs suggest first-year earnings around $73,400—solidly in line with what ADN graduates earn in the state—against roughly $26,600 in debt. That's a manageable 0.36 ratio, meaning graduates would need about four months of pre-tax earnings to cover their loans.

The challenge is context. New York's nursing market shows enormous variation: top-performing ADN programs in the state report graduates earning $90,000 to $102,000 in their first year, substantially more than what Belanger's estimates suggest. While some of that gap may reflect geographic differences (downstate hospitals typically pay more), it's worth understanding whether Belanger's clinical partnerships and job placement networks position graduates for the higher end of the market or the middle. The school's 83% admission rate and lower-than-average Pell enrollment (23% versus typical community college rates) hint at a selective student body, but don't tell you much about employment outcomes.

Before committing, talk to recent graduates directly about where they landed jobs and what they actually earned their first year. With nursing, program quality matters less for licensure than for network access and employer relationships—and those factors create the wide earnings spread you see across New York programs.