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

Newberry College's nursing program produces graduates earning just below both state and national medians, landing in the 40th percentile among South Carolina programs. With first-year earnings of $72,756 compared to $73,682 statewide and $74,888 nationally, graduates earn roughly $1,000-2,000 less than typical nursing grads—a modest gap, but worth noting when several other SC schools like Coastal Carolina ($84,021) and Lander University ($78,485) deliver significantly stronger outcomes. The debt load of $27,000 is exactly average for nursing programs, yielding a solid 0.37 debt-to-earnings ratio.

For a nursing degree—where credentials matter but earnings are fairly standardized by the profession—this represents reasonable value rather than exceptional performance. Your child would graduate with manageable debt and entry to a stable career field, but they'd likely start several thousand dollars behind peers from stronger programs in the state. The 49% Pell Grant rate suggests Newberry serves many students who might not have access to top-tier programs, which adds important context.

The practical takeaway: if your child is deciding between Newberry and one of the higher-performing SC nursing schools listed above, the earnings difference could total $10,000-15,000 annually—enough to matter over a career. If Newberry offers significantly better financial aid or fits other important criteria, the slightly lower earnings are manageable given the modest debt. Otherwise, the data suggests looking at programs that perform better within South Carolina's competitive nursing landscape.