Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Gardner-Webb University

Gardner-Webb's nursing program comes with an important caveat: the small sample size means these numbers could swing significantly year to year. That said, the data shows graduates earning slightly above North Carolina's median for nursing associates—landing at the 60th percentile statewide—though trailing the national benchmark by about $400. The $20,000 debt load sits right at the national median but notably exceeds what most North Carolina nursing students carry ($14,725 typically).

The concerning pattern here is the earnings trajectory: graduates see their income drop 6% from year one to year four, falling from nearly $68,000 to under $64,000. This backward movement is unusual in nursing, where experience typically increases earning power. It could reflect graduates changing practice settings, reducing hours, or simply be an artifact of the small sample creating noise in the data.

For context, several North Carolina community colleges are producing nursing graduates who out-earn Gardner-Webb's by $8,000-10,000 annually—often with substantially lower debt. At 0.29, the debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable, and your child would start with reasonable monthly payments. But given the backwards earnings trend and the premium you're paying over community college alternatives, you'd want strong non-financial reasons—like Gardner-Webb's private university setting or specific program features—to justify choosing this path over more established North Carolina nursing programs with proven track records.