Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Hardin-Simmons University

A $27,000 debt load for a nursing bachelor's degree is manageable—it sits right at the national median for these programs and slightly above Texas's typical debt level. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35, graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in less than five months of gross income, which represents a reasonable financial burden for this credential level.

The earnings picture, however, requires more context. Based on comparable nursing programs across Texas, first-year earnings hover around $77,000, which tracks with both state and national medians. But here's what matters: this estimate represents middle-of-the-pack performance in a state where nursing programs show significant variation. The top Texas programs produce first-year outcomes in the low-to-mid $90,000s—suggesting that school selection genuinely impacts earning potential in this field, even when accounting for regional differences in cost of living and hospital systems.

For a family considering Hardin-Simmons, the key question is whether the school's nursing preparation justifies staying in the middle tier financially. The university's high admission rate and modest test scores suggest it's accessible, and the debt load won't sink graduates. But if your child can gain admission to UT System schools, A&M campuses, or even well-regarded regional programs with reported outcomes above $85,000, those alternatives merit serious consideration. This appears to be a safe choice rather than a standout one—it gets you into nursing without excessive debt, though perhaps not with the strongest competitive positioning.