Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Great Basin College

First-year earnings of $70,512 put this program well below where Nevada nursing graduates typically land—roughly $15,000 less than the state median. With debt estimated at around $21,000 based on comparable programs at Great Basin College, you're looking at a reasonable debt load that could be repaid within a year or two of focused effort. But the real question is why the earnings lag so significantly behind other Nevada nursing programs, some of which start graduates $15,000-$30,000 higher annually.

Location likely plays a major role here. Great Basin College serves rural northeastern Nevada, and nursing salaries in Elko and surrounding communities probably don't match what you'd find in Las Vegas or Reno. If your child plans to work in rural Nevada after graduation, these lower starting figures may actually reflect realistic local wages rather than program quality. The 16% earnings growth to $81,441 by year four suggests steady progression, though that still trails the typical Nevada nursing graduate's starting salary.

The practical takeaway: this program makes financial sense if your child wants to practice nursing in rural Nevada and values staying close to home. The debt burden is manageable, and rural healthcare settings often offer loan forgiveness programs that could reduce that further. But if relocating to Nevada's urban centers is the plan, compare carefully—other programs in the state are producing graduates who start considerably higher, even accounting for the estimated nature of Great Basin's debt figures.