Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Southern Adventist University

Southern Adventist's nursing program starts graduates at $66,005—below both the national median ($74,888) and Tennessee's median ($67,094), ranking in just the 5th percentile nationally. While it sits at the 40th percentile among Tennessee programs, that still means three-fifths of nursing schools in the state produce better outcomes. More concerning is what happens after year one: earnings essentially flatline, growing only 1% over four years while the program carries $28,191 in debt. That's higher than both Tennessee's median ($26,872) and national benchmarks, creating a debt ratio of 0.43 that's manageable but not advantageous given the below-average starting point.

Tennessee nursing graduates have stronger options. Public universities like UT-Martin and Memphis both deliver higher earnings with comparable or lower debt loads. Even accounting for Southern Adventist's faith-based mission and smaller setting, the financial gap is substantial—graduates here earn roughly $10,000 less annually than the state median with minimal room for catch-up growth. The 67% admission rate and below-average SAT scores suggest accessibility, but that doesn't explain why outcomes lag when the sample size is robust enough to trust.

For families considering this program, the question is straightforward: are you willing to pay more for lower earnings and stagnant growth? Unless Southern Adventist's specific campus culture is non-negotiable, Tennessee offers multiple nursing programs that better balance cost and career trajectory.