Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Purdue University Global

Purdue University Global's nursing graduates start strong at $66,332, but watch what happens next: earnings drop 12% to $58,039 by year four. That's unusual for nursing, where most programs show steady earnings growth as nurses gain experience and move into better-paying specialties or leadership roles. This backward trajectory suggests either graduates are struggling to advance professionally or are working reduced hours—neither is typical for associate-degree nurses.

The program does have two advantages working in its favor. First, it beats Indiana's state median by about $600, landing in the 60th percentile among the state's seven nursing programs. Second, graduates carry $34,627 in debt—high compared to the national median of $20,751, but actually typical for Indiana schools (state median is $34,290). That keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio at 0.52, manageable for nursing salaries.

However, that earnings decline matters more than the reasonable debt load. By year four, graduates are earning $10,000 less than the national average for associate-degree nurses, despite starting near that benchmark. If your child attends, they'll need to be particularly strategic about seeking advancement opportunities—additional certifications, specialty training, or moving into higher-paying nursing roles—to avoid the earnings plateau that seems to affect many of this program's graduates. The program isn't a poor choice for Indiana nursing, but the earnings trajectory demands attention.