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

Shepherd University's nursing graduates enter the workforce earning roughly $4,600 above West Virginia's median for nursing programs—ranking in the 60th percentile statewide—but their earnings trajectory tells a more complicated story. That first-year salary of $75,914 slides to $71,847 by year four, putting graduates almost exactly at the state median by that point. While this backwards movement is unusual, the $27,206 debt load remains manageable with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36.

The real question is why earnings decline when most nursing careers see steady growth. This could reflect graduates working in rural West Virginia hospitals with compressed salary scales, or it might indicate retention challenges in the profession. What matters for your family is that Shepherd sits in the middle of the pack—trailing American Public University and Fairmont State significantly, but still producing nurses who earn solidly above the state average initially. The debt is reasonable enough that even with the earnings dip, graduates aren't facing financial strain.

If your child can attend Shepherd affordably and wants to stay in West Virginia, the numbers work. Just understand they're likely looking at flat to declining earnings in their first few years rather than the salary growth typical of early-career nurses in other markets.