Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Eagle Gate College-Boise Campus

Eagle Gate College's nursing program leaves students with nearly double the debt burden typical for Idaho nursing programs—$52,292 versus the state median of $32,500—while delivering below-average first-year earnings of $66,420. That's concerning enough, but here's what makes it harder to justify: every public nursing school in Idaho produces higher-earning graduates. Boise State nursing grads earn $79,301 their first year, nearly $13,000 more, while Lewis-Clark State graduates earn $78,000. Even BYU-Idaho, known for keeping costs low, matches Eagle Gate's outcomes with far less debt.

The 40th percentile state ranking might sound middle-of-the-road, but in a small market with only seven nursing programs, it means you're paying premium private-school prices for outcomes that trail most alternatives. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 translates to roughly $600 monthly loan payments on a $66,000 salary—manageable but tight, especially in those critical first years of building a career. Nationally, this program ranks in just the 10th percentile for earnings while sitting in the 5th percentile for debt load.

For families considering this program, the math is straightforward: Idaho's public universities deliver stronger nursing outcomes at roughly half the debt burden. Unless scheduling flexibility or location creates an insurmountable barrier to attending a state school, those alternatives represent substantially better investments for your nursing education dollars.