Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Missouri Western State University

Missouri Western graduates nursing students who hit the ground running with solid $70,938 first-year salaries—beating the state median and placing them in the middle of Missouri's nursing programs. The $25,000 debt load is more manageable than what students typically carry at other Missouri nursing schools. Here's the complication: earnings actually drop by year four to $65,515, an unusual pattern in a profession that typically rewards experience with steady raises.

Why might this happen? It's worth investigating whether graduates are moving into lower-paying settings, facing regional wage limitations in northwest Missouri, or leaving the profession at higher rates. The state's 60th percentile ranking suggests this program performs adequately within Missouri, but the 29th percentile nationally indicates stronger programs exist elsewhere—including at Chamberlain and Research College of Nursing if your child is open to other Missouri options.

For families prioritizing lower debt and decent starting wages, Missouri Western delivers. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 means your child could reasonably pay this off within a few years. But if long-term earning potential matters more—and it should in healthcare—you'll want to understand what's driving that earnings decline before committing.