Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Mercyhurst University

Mercyhurst's nursing program lands at the 25th percentile among Pennsylvania schools—a significant concern given that the state median for nursing graduates is $78,428. At $64,519, these graduates earn nearly $14,000 less than the typical Pennsylvania nursing grad and $10,000 below the national median. Meanwhile, they're carrying $45,660 in debt, almost double what most nursing students borrow. Every top nursing program in Pennsylvania—including Immaculata, Villanova, and Thomas Jefferson—reports first-year earnings exceeding $85,000.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift with more data, but the pattern is troubling enough to warrant serious attention. A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71 means graduates owe roughly nine months' salary, which is manageable for nursing but less favorable than at stronger programs where higher earnings make the same or lower debt easier to service.

If your child is set on Mercyhurst for other reasons, this program can still lead to a nursing career. But from a pure return-on-investment perspective, Pennsylvania offers substantially better nursing options. Compare offers carefully—particularly from schools where graduates consistently break $80,000 in their first year while borrowing less than $30,000.