Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at College of Saint Benedict

College of Saint Benedict nursing graduates start strong with first-year earnings of $75,656—putting them above both national and state medians—but experience an unusual 10% earnings decline by year four. This backward trajectory is atypical for nursing, where salaries generally rise with experience and additional certifications. The moderate sample size suggests this pattern is real, not just statistical noise.

The $27,000 debt load is manageable at 0.36 times first-year earnings, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in under five months of gross income. That's solid leverage regardless of the earnings plateau. Among Minnesota's 27 nursing programs, this ranks at the 60th percentile—respectable but not exceptional. Schools like Walden and Capella place graduates earning $13,000-$20,000 more annually, suggesting location or network effects may limit earning potential here.

The key question is what's driving the earnings drop: are graduates staying in lower-paying rural settings near campus, working part-time for lifestyle reasons, or simply facing a compressed salary range at their employers? For families prioritizing work-life balance in a smaller Minnesota community, the initial salary and low debt make this workable. But if maximizing income matters, the top-tier Minnesota programs offer meaningfully better outcomes without dramatically higher debt.