Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Grand View University

Grand View's nursing program raises immediate questions about long-term career trajectory. Graduates start at $64,042—already below both the state median ($67,362) and well below the national median ($74,888)—but then see earnings drop 14% to $55,063 by year four. This backward movement is particularly troubling in nursing, where experience typically commands higher pay and Iowa's top programs see graduates earning $71,000-$75,000 within the first year.

Within Iowa's nursing landscape, this program sits at the 40th percentile, meaning more than half of Iowa nursing schools produce better outcomes despite Grand View's $27,000 debt load matching the state median. The debt itself is reasonable at 0.42 times first-year earnings, but only if those early earnings hold—which they clearly don't here. Nationally, the program ranks in just the 5th percentile, indicating something fundamentally different is happening with Grand View nursing graduates compared to peers elsewhere.

The concern isn't the starting point alone—it's where graduates end up four years later. If your child attends Grand View, they should understand they'll likely earn less as an experienced nurse than as a new grad, bucking the normal pattern of nursing career progression. With 19 nursing programs in Iowa, most offering stronger outcomes, this represents a below-average investment for an in-state student.