Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at CUNY Medgar Evers College

The numbers here look almost too good to be true—and with fewer than 30 graduates in the sample, they might be. CUNY Medgar Evers nursing grads report first-year earnings of nearly $116,000, roughly $40,000 above the national median for nursing bachelor's programs and $26,000 above New York's state median. That places it in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile statewide, essentially competing with the state's top-tier nursing programs despite Medgar Evers' accessible admission profile (83% acceptance rate, serving a student body where 57% receive Pell grants). The $21,213 in median debt creates an extraordinarily manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.18.

The small sample size matters significantly here—these figures could reflect a handful of graduates who landed specialized positions rather than typical outcomes you can expect. The 6% earnings decline from year one to year four is also unusual for nursing and suggests these initial placements might not be the norm. Still, even if actual typical earnings are 20% lower than reported, this would remain a strong program relative to cost. For a family seeking an affordable path to nursing in New York City, where hospital systems pay competitively, this represents genuine opportunity—just understand the data may not fully capture the range of outcomes you should prepare for.