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

Morningside's nursing program sits in an interesting position: it underperforms the national market by about $6,500 annually, placing it in just the 18th percentile nationally. But zoom into Iowa, and the picture shifts—graduates actually earn slightly above the state median and land squarely in the 60th percentile among Iowa nursing programs. For families planning to stay in-state, this matters more than the national comparison suggests.

The $28,000 debt load is reasonable for nursing, translating to a manageable 0.41 debt-to-earnings ratio. Graduates earning $68,000 in their first year can realistically handle these monthly payments. However, the nearly flat earnings trajectory—just a 2% bump over four years—raises questions about career advancement. Compare this to top Iowa programs like Luther College ($75,533) or Dordt University ($71,680), where starting salaries run $3,000-$7,000 higher annually. Over a career, that gap compounds significantly.

If your child is committed to working in Iowa and needs an accessible nursing program, Morningside delivers adequate preparation at a reasonable price. But families should understand they're not getting the premium outcomes that Iowa's stronger nursing programs provide, even though they're all competing for similar hospital positions across the state.