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

Towson University's nursing program delivers solid starting salaries but shows concerning earning patterns that warrant careful consideration. New graduates earn $80,344 their first year—above both national ($74,888) and Maryland state medians ($79,291)—ranking in the 72nd percentile nationally. However, by year four, earnings drop to $74,833, representing a 7% decline when most careers should be advancing.

The debt picture is less favorable. At $23,378, graduates carry below-average debt compared to the national median ($27,000), but this still places the program in the 79th percentile for debt burden—meaning most comparable programs nationwide require less borrowing. Within Maryland's 13 nursing programs, Towson ranks middle-of-the-pack for both earnings and debt, trailing several competitors including University of Maryland Global Campus ($92,323) and Washington Adventist University ($85,352).

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 is manageable, and the robust sample size of 100+ graduates makes these figures reliable. However, the earnings decline suggests graduates may face market saturation or limited advancement opportunities in their initial positions. For families prioritizing strong nursing career prospects, exploring higher-performing Maryland programs or understanding why Towson's graduates see declining earnings over time would be worthwhile before committing.