Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Joseph F McCloskey School of Nursing

McCloskey's nursing program delivers earnings that significantly outpace both state and national medians—graduates earn $74,192 in their first year, roughly $9,000 more than the typical Pennsylvania nursing program and nearly $8,000 above the national median. Within Pennsylvania's nursing landscape, this places the program solidly in the 60th percentile, trailing only elite institutions like Penn and a handful of hospital-affiliated schools. The debt load of $28,250 sits just above typical levels but remains manageable given these strong earnings, resulting in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38 that suggests graduates can realistically pay down loans within three to four years.

The premium pricing makes sense here. While students do take on slightly more debt than at the average nursing program, they're positioned to earn more than 80% of nursing certificate graduates nationally right out of the gate. For a school serving a substantial number of Pell-eligible students (42%), these outcomes represent genuine economic mobility. The moderate sample size provides reasonable confidence in these numbers without the volatility sometimes seen with smaller cohorts.

For parents weighing in-state options, this program offers a clear value proposition: you'll pay modestly more upfront but your child will likely earn substantially more than graduates from most Pennsylvania nursing programs—without the sticker shock of Philadelphia's premium programs. That's a trade-off worth making for a family serious about nursing as a career.