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

Belmont's nursing program starts graduates at $67,072—roughly matching Tennessee's state median but trailing the national figure by nearly $8,000. More concerning is where earnings go from there: after four years, the typical graduate is making less than they did as a new nurse, with salaries declining to $63,118. This downward trend is unusual for healthcare and worth investigating, though the program's 40th percentile ranking in Tennessee suggests it's not an outlier among state nursing programs.

The $25,625 debt load is manageable, translating to a 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio that won't strain most nursing budgets. But when nearby Galen Health Institutes and Baptist Health Sciences graduates earn $10,000-13,000 more annually while carrying similar debt, the comparison becomes harder to justify. Even public options like University of Memphis show stronger salary trajectories.

For families focused on nursing, this program gets you into the field at a reasonable cost, but it's middle-of-the-pack in Tennessee and below average nationally. If your student is already committed to Belmont for campus culture or other programs, the nursing track won't saddle them with excessive debt. But if maximizing nursing income is the priority, several Nashville-area alternatives deliver better financial outcomes.