Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus

Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland's nursing program costs less than half the national median in debt ($17,125 versus $20,751) while still delivering above-average first-year earnings of $71,929—though there's a significant catch. Within New Jersey, this program lands at just the 40th percentile, meaning graduates here earn about $3,500 less annually than the typical NJ nursing graduate. When community colleges like Hudson County and Ocean County are producing nurses who earn $20,000+ more in their first year, that's a real gap your child needs to understand. The state's higher cost of living makes those dollars matter even more.

The positive story here is the trajectory and the debt burden. With earnings climbing to $85,631 by year four (19% growth), graduates are clearly advancing in their careers and building earning power over time. More importantly, that 0.24 debt-to-earnings ratio means your child would owe about three months' salary—manageable for a field with steady demand. The 39% Pell grant population suggests this college serves students who need affordable pathways into healthcare, which aligns with the lower debt load.

If your child can attend one of the higher-earning NJ nursing programs without substantially more debt, that's worth exploring. But if this is the accessible local option, the combination of reasonable debt and solid earnings growth makes it a functional investment into a stable career, even if it's not the highest-earning nursing program in the state.