Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Galen Health Institutes-Austin Campus

This nursing program delivers solid earnings but comes with a significant debt burden that sets it apart from most competitors. Starting salaries of $76,234 are respectable—slightly above the national average and just below Texas's median for nursing programs. However, the real concern is the debt load: at $45,775, graduates carry nearly double the typical debt for nursing programs both nationally and in Texas.

Among Texas nursing programs, this ranks in the 40th percentile for earnings, meaning 60% of programs produce higher-earning graduates. The debt situation is more troubling—this program ranks in the bottom 5% nationally for debt levels, meaning 95% of similar programs burden students with less debt. When you compare this to top Texas programs like West Coast University-Texas ($95,859) or University of Houston-Clear Lake ($93,001), the value gap becomes clear.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60 means graduates will likely struggle more with loan payments than peers at other programs. With 51% of students receiving Pell grants, many come from lower-income families who can least afford this debt burden. While nursing generally offers stable employment prospects, your child could achieve similar or better outcomes with significantly less debt at numerous other Texas nursing programs.