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

Rivier's nursing graduates start strong at $65,499, but that figure drops to $61,517 by year four—an unusual backward slide in a field where experience typically commands higher pay. More concerning, New Hampshire nursing graduates generally earn much more: the state median sits at $72,766, and Rivier ranks in just the 40th percentile among the nine nursing programs in NH. Every community college in the state produces higher-earning graduates, with some exceeding Rivier's outcomes by nearly $10,000 annually.

The $38,500 debt load intensifies these concerns. While Rivier's debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59 isn't catastrophic, you're paying substantially more than at NH's community colleges (state median debt: $27,350) for demonstrably weaker outcomes. That's an $11,000 debt premium for earnings that trail peer institutions and actually decline over time.

For a New Hampshire family, this math doesn't work. The state's community colleges deliver the same nursing credential with less debt and better earnings trajectories. Unless Rivier offers compelling personal factors—location, scheduling flexibility, specific support systems—the data suggests looking first at River Valley, NHTI, or Great Bay, where graduates enter the workforce with less debt and stronger earning power that appears more sustainable.