Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of Alaska Southeast

Alaska's nursing market commands premium wages—other nursing programs in the state report first-year earnings around $83,000—but University of Alaska Southeast's associate degree program shows estimated outcomes closer to the national median of $68,000. That's a meaningful gap worth understanding, though it's important to note these figures come from comparable programs nationwide rather than UAS's actual graduate outcomes, which aren't publicly available due to small cohort sizes.

The estimated debt load of $18,800 works out to just 27% of first-year earnings based on these peer program figures, which represents manageable leverage for a healthcare credential. Associate-degree nursing programs typically offer one of the clearest paths to stable middle-class income, and even at the lower estimated earnings figure, graduates would be positioned to pay down debt relatively quickly. The real question is whether UAS graduates actually capture Alaska's higher wage premiums—something worth asking the nursing program directly about job placement and where their recent graduates are working.

If your student plans to stay in Alaska, verify that UAS grads are competitive for positions at hospitals and clinics paying state-typical wages. If they're falling short of that $83,000 benchmark, you'd need to understand why—whether it's limited clinical partnerships, employer preferences, or graduates leaving the state. The debt picture looks reasonable, but only if the earnings materialize at Alaska levels rather than Lower 48 averages.