Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Fortis Institute-Nashville

Fortis Institute's nursing program charges nearly twice the typical debt load for Tennessee nursing schools—$34,966 versus the state median of $16,423—while delivering earnings that barely exceed the state average. At 60th percentile statewide, graduates here earn slightly more than half of Tennessee nursing programs, but they're paying premium prices for what's essentially middle-of-the-pack performance. More concerning: earnings actually drop 5% by year four, from $66,276 to $62,980, suggesting graduates may be losing ground rather than advancing in their careers.

The debt burden here ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of nursing programs saddle students with less debt. For context, nearby community colleges like Dyersburg State and Southwest Tennessee produce nurses earning $10,000+ more annually while charging half the debt. That's a meaningful difference when you're making loan payments on a nursing salary.

The program serves a predominantly low-income student body (69% receive Pell grants), which makes the high debt particularly troublesome. While the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53 is technically manageable, your child would be taking on substantial financial risk for outcomes they could achieve more affordably elsewhere in Tennessee. Unless there are compelling geographic or scheduling reasons to choose Fortis, the state's community college nursing programs offer far better value.