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

Carroll's nursing program carries an estimated debt load of $26,624—substantially higher than the state median of $19,000 for associate nursing degrees and above the national benchmark of $20,751. For context, several Wisconsin technical colleges producing strong nursing outcomes report much lower debt burdens while their graduates earn comparable or better salaries in year one.

The estimated first-year earnings of $65,071 from comparable Wisconsin programs align with the state median but trail the national figure of $68,409. More concerning is the comparison to nearby alternatives: Waukesha County Technical College, literally in the same city, shows graduates earning around $68,434—$3,363 more annually—while technical colleges statewide are producing similar outcomes. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 isn't alarming on its own, but it reflects paying private university prices for an outcome that Wisconsin's public technical college system routinely delivers more affordably.

The practical issue here is value for money. An associate nursing degree is primarily vocational credentialing—the RN license matters more than the institutional name on the diploma. When technical colleges in Wisconsin are placing graduates into the same job market at similar or better pay, with significantly less debt, the $7,000+ premium at Carroll requires justification. Unless your child has compelling reasons to prefer Carroll's environment or has substantial scholarship support that closes this gap, the technical college pathway deserves serious consideration for this particular credential.