Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Belmont College

Nursing programs typically offer stable, growing earnings, but Belmont College's RN program shows an unusual pattern: graduates actually earn less four years out ($55,167) than in their first year ($58,414). While the initial earnings aren't disastrous—sitting at the 40th percentile among Ohio nursing programs—the downward trajectory is puzzling and worth investigating. The first-year salary trails Ohio's median by about $6,000 and lags considerably behind top Ohio programs like Herzing ($73,342) and Sinclair Community College ($69,403).

The positive news is the debt load. At $20,524, it's notably lower than Ohio's typical nursing debt of nearly $27,000, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35. For many nursing graduates, this means clearing student loans within a year or two of graduation if they're aggressive about repayment. This is a real advantage in a field where many programs saddle students with more debt for similar or only marginally better outcomes.

The declining earnings pattern deserves scrutiny—is it graduates leaving the field, switching to part-time work, or something about the local healthcare market? For families committed to staying in the St. Clairsville area and prioritizing lower debt over maximum earning potential, this could work. But students with geographic flexibility should compare outcomes at Ohio's stronger performers, particularly community colleges like Sinclair that deliver both higher earnings and reasonable debt loads.