Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Saint Anselm College

Saint Anselm's nursing graduates start strong at nearly $80,000, but that's roughly where they stay four years later—unusual in a field where most nurses see steady raises as they gain experience and specializations. While the program outperforms the national median and lands around the 60th percentile among New Hampshire nursing programs, it notably trails Southern New Hampshire University's $85,600 outcomes. The debt load of $27,000 is standard for nursing programs, yielding a manageable 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio that most graduates can handle comfortably.

The flat earnings trajectory deserves attention. Most nursing programs show growth as graduates move into higher-paying specialties or leadership roles, but Saint Anselm's data suggests their graduates may be settling into positions with limited advancement. That said, starting near $80,000 in your first year means graduates have time to redirect toward higher-growth nursing tracks if needed. The robust sample size confirms this pattern is real, not a statistical fluke.

For families prioritizing immediate job security over long-term earnings growth, this program delivers—new nurses earn well from day one and carry reasonable debt. However, if you're expecting the typical nursing career arc with steadily increasing compensation, you'll want to understand why that's not showing up in this data before committing.