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

Cox College's nursing graduates start with solid first-year earnings of $68,174 against manageable debt of $31,000—a reasonable 0.45 debt-to-earnings ratio. But then things go sideways: earnings actually decline to $65,374 by year four, a 4% drop when most nursing careers should be advancing. This downward trajectory is unusual for nursing and places the program in Missouri's middle tier (40th percentile), trailing state leaders like Chamberlain ($83,188) and Research College of Nursing ($75,705) by $10,000-$15,000 annually.

Within Missouri's 36 nursing programs, Cox sits right at the median for starting pay but underperforms the $68,874 state average by year four. Nationally, it falls to the 17th percentile—meaning 83% of nursing programs deliver better earnings outcomes. The debt load is reasonable but not exceptional, sitting slightly above both state and national medians.

For families banking on nursing's typically reliable return on investment, Cox presents complications. The earnings decline suggests graduates may face limited advancement opportunities or regional wage constraints. If your student plans to stay in the Springfield area long-term and values Cox's focused nursing environment, the manageable debt provides some cushion. But students willing to attend programs like Research College of Nursing or Mizzou could see significantly better financial outcomes within Missouri—potentially $7,000-$10,000 more annually with similar or lower debt burdens.