Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Missouri Baptist University

Missouri Baptist University's nursing program sits in an unusual position: while it ranks in the 60th percentile among Missouri nursing programs, it falls to just the 24th percentile nationally. First-year graduates earn $69,968—slightly above the state median but nearly $5,000 below the national benchmark. The $31,000 in typical debt is manageable but higher than most competing programs in Missouri, where the median is $27,000. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 means graduates carry about five months of first-year salary in loans, which is reasonable for nursing but not exceptional.

The state context reveals the challenge here: Missouri nursing programs collectively underperform the national market, and Missouri Baptist performs roughly average within that already-diminished field. Top Missouri programs like Chamberlain ($83,188) and Research College of Nursing ($75,705) demonstrate significantly stronger early earnings. The difference between Missouri Baptist and these leading programs amounts to $13,000-$5,700 annually—substantial gaps that can compound over a career.

For Missouri families, this program offers solid middle-of-the-pack value within the state, with debt levels that won't overwhelm a nursing salary. But parents should understand their child would likely enter the workforce earning less than three-quarters of nursing graduates nationally. If your child has admission options at Research College of Nursing or University of Missouri-Columbia, those programs deliver noticeably stronger financial outcomes for similar or lower debt.