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

Daemen's nursing program earns well above the national average but falls short of what's typical for New York—and that's an important distinction if you're paying New York tuition rates. The $79,376 starting salary beats the national median by about $4,500, yet lags the state median by nearly $10,000. Among New York's 61 nursing programs, this lands at just the 40th percentile, meaning six out of ten similar programs in the state produce higher earnings.

The debt load of $32,433 is manageable relative to first-year income, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41. However, the complete absence of earnings growth between year one and year four raises questions about career trajectory. Most nursing graduates see steady salary increases as they gain experience and specialize; the flat earnings here suggest graduates may not be advancing into higher-paying roles or specialties at the rate seen elsewhere. For context, top-performing New York nursing programs like Helene Fuld and several CUNY schools are placing graduates into positions earning $110,000+.

If you're already set on New York nursing programs and Daemen offers the right fit or specific clinical partnerships your child values, the fundamentals aren't bad—the debt is reasonable and the starting salary clears $79,000. But purely from a return-on-investment standpoint, multiple SUNY and CUNY options deliver significantly stronger earnings for likely lower tuition costs.