Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Middlesex College

Middlesex College's nursing program sits in an awkward middle position among New Jersey options—earning nearly $6,000 below the state median while ranking in just the 40th percentile statewide. For context, top community college programs in the state like Hudson County and Ocean County see graduates earning $90,000+ within their first year, suggesting this program isn't fully capitalizing on New Jersey's strong nursing market. Your child would start at $69,896, which beats the national average but trails meaningfully behind what neighboring programs deliver in the same job market.

The financial picture itself is manageable: $17,506 in debt against nearly $70,000 in first-year earnings creates a comfortable 0.25 debt-to-earnings ratio. Earnings do grow to nearly $80,000 by year four, showing reasonable progression. However, with only a small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked), these numbers could shift considerably year to year, making them less reliable for planning purposes.

If your child is set on staying in New Jersey to work as a nurse, the data suggests looking at competing community college programs first. The $10,000-$20,000 gap in starting salaries compared to top state programs represents real money that compounds over a career, even if the debt load here is slightly lower than average.