Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Southwest University at El Paso

Southwest University at El Paso's nursing graduates earn $74,637 in their first year—solid money that beats the national median by about $6,000 and places them in the 77th percentile nationally. Within Texas, though, the picture is less exceptional: these earnings land at the 60th percentile, trailing programs like nearby El Paso Community College by $5,000. Still, for a program serving 79% Pell-eligible students, these outcomes represent meaningful upward mobility.

The concern is debt. At $46,551, graduates carry more than double what's typical for associate-level nursing programs nationally ($20,751) and in Texas ($18,000). That means many will face monthly payments of $500-600 while building their careers. The 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic—nursing salaries typically support this burden—but it's tight, especially in a market where comparable programs like El Paso Community College deliver similar career outcomes with far less debt.

The small sample size here makes these numbers less reliable, so investigate whether this represents a typical cohort. If the debt load is consistent across years, families should compare carefully against EPCC and other regional options. The career outcome is strong enough to justify the investment for students who need Southwest's specific schedule or location, but not if cheaper alternatives are accessible.