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

Carroll College nursing graduates start strong with $75,000 in first-year earnings—right on par with national norms and slightly above Montana's median. But here's the wrinkle: by year four, those earnings drop to $67,000. This backward trajectory is unusual for nursing, where wages typically climb as new grads gain experience and move beyond entry-level positions. It's worth investigating whether many graduates are shifting into part-time work, public health roles, or other career paths that might explain the dip.

The $27,000 debt load is manageable by any measure—matching national norms and coming in well below Montana's state median of $29,500. That 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates could reasonably pay off their loans within two years of full-time work, assuming aggressive repayment. Among Montana's seven nursing programs, Carroll ranks in the middle of the pack, outperformed by University of Providence's $101,000 first-year earnings but holding its own against state universities.

For families prioritizing quick entry into the workforce with reasonable debt, Carroll delivers. The declining earnings pattern deserves a conversation with the school about typical career paths—whether graduates are pursuing graduate education, moving into different nursing specialties, or relocating to markets with different pay scales. If your student plans to work bedside in acute care settings long-term, understanding why earnings soften after year one matters more than the solid starting salary suggests.