Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Shawnee State University

Shawnee State's nursing program sits below the middle of the pack in Ohio—ranking at the 40th percentile statewide—with first-year earnings of $67,126 trailing the state median by about $3,200. More concerning is the earnings trajectory: graduates actually earn less four years out ($64,794) than they do fresh out of school, a decline that runs counter to typical nursing career progression. While this could reflect graduates moving to lower-cost-of-living areas or choosing less intensive schedules, it suggests the program may not be positioning students for advancement into higher-paying specialties or leadership roles that typically drive mid-career earnings growth.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $24,146, graduates carry about $3,000 less than both state and national medians, keeping the debt burden manageable at just 36% of first-year earnings. For a program serving a substantial population of Pell grant recipients (35%), this relatively modest debt load matters. The fundamentals work: graduates can cover their debt and still earn a decent nursing salary, even if they're not reaching the $75,000+ that top Ohio programs deliver.

If your child needs to stay in southern Ohio and wants a nursing career without crushing debt, this gets the job done. But if they're willing to relocate for school or their RN license makes them geographically flexible anyway, programs like Chamberlain or Kettering College deliver $12,000-16,000 more in starting salary for similar debt—a difference worth weighing carefully.