Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at South University-Virginia Beach

This nursing program offers solid starting salaries but comes with a significant debt burden that parents should carefully consider. While graduates earn $77,635 in their first year—above both national ($74,888) and Virginia medians ($76,056)—the program saddles students with $41,815 in debt, placing it in the 95th percentile nationally for debt load. That's roughly $15,000 more than typical nursing programs charge.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 means graduates will likely spend a substantial portion of their early career income servicing loans. More concerning is the virtual absence of earnings growth: salaries increase by just 1% over four years, suggesting graduates hit their earning ceiling quickly. Among Virginia's 35 nursing programs, this ranks right at the median (60th percentile) for earnings, meaning students are paying premium prices for average outcomes within the state. Several Virginia programs deliver similar or better earnings with likely lower debt burdens.

The bottom line: this program produces competent nurses who earn decent starting salaries, but the high debt load makes it a questionable value compared to other Virginia nursing options. Unless your child has compelling reasons to attend this specific institution, exploring lower-cost alternatives that deliver similar earnings would be financially prudent.