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

Bushnell's nursing program reports first-year earnings of $103,000—extraordinary numbers that would make it Oregon's highest-earning nursing program by nearly $8,000. But here's the critical detail: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, making these figures potentially unrepresentative of what your child might actually earn. For context, established Oregon programs like Linfield and University of Portland show more consistent earnings in the $94,000-$96,000 range with larger sample sizes. The debt load of $28,700 is actually quite reasonable and below Oregon's state median.

The national 95th percentile ranking looks impressive on paper, but it's more meaningful to compare against Oregon schools, where this program sits at the 60th percentile—above average but not exceptional. Oregon's nursing market clearly pays well across the board (the state median is $20,000 above the national figure), which explains these strong numbers. The real question is whether Bushnell can consistently deliver outcomes matching these top-tier Oregon programs, or if you're looking at an outlier year from a handful of graduates.

If your child is committed to nursing and prefers Bushnell's smaller community (66% admission rate, less selective than competing programs), the debt-to-earnings ratio suggests it won't be a financial burden—assuming typical outcomes align somewhere near the state median. Just understand you're making this decision with less certainty than you'd have at programs with more established track records.