Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Brigham Young University-Idaho

BYU-Idaho nursing graduates face an unusual trajectory: strong starting salaries of $66,125 that inexplicably drop 14% by year four to $56,925. This backward earnings pattern is rare in nursing and lands the program in just the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of nursing programs produce better long-term outcomes. The silver lining? Extraordinarily low debt at $12,207, roughly one-third of Idaho's typical $32,500 nursing debt and less than half the national median.

Within Idaho, this program sits squarely in the middle (40th percentile), but that's misleading given the state's stronger programs. Boise State and Lewis-Clark State graduates earn $77,000-$79,000 four years out—about $20,000 more annually than BYU-Idaho's year-four figure. The debt advantage doesn't offset this gap: even carrying triple the debt, graduates from top Idaho programs would break even within two years while earning significantly more thereafter.

The declining earnings curve raises real questions about career momentum. Perhaps graduates initially take higher-paying positions but then shift to lower-paying specialties or part-time work, or maybe the robust sample is capturing a specific cohort effect. With 100+ graduates tracked, this pattern isn't a statistical fluke. If your child prioritizes minimal debt and values BYU-Idaho's environment, they'll graduate with manageable loans—but the stagnating earnings suggest they may need to be proactive about career advancement to match what peers at other Idaho schools achieve.