Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of Arkansas at Monticello

Seventeen thousand dollars in debt for a nursing degree that could return $67,000 in year one—similar programs across Arkansas suggest this program offers solid fundamentals for students entering a stable profession. Based on the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26, graduates from comparable programs typically need less than four months of gross income to cover their educational investment, among the more manageable numbers you'll find in healthcare education.

The reality check: Arkansas nursing programs show considerable earnings variation, with some peers reporting first-year salaries above $78,000 while others cluster around the state median where this program falls. Whether that $10,000-plus gap matters depends on factors this data can't capture—clinical placement locations, hiring networks, and how quickly graduates advance. For a school serving nearly half first-generation or low-income students (49% receive Pell grants), an associate degree pathway into nursing remains one of the most reliable routes to middle-class stability.

The practical take: if your student can complete this program with debt near the $17,000 estimate, they're likely entering nursing on financially sound footing. But before committing, compare graduation rates and NCLEX pass rates across Arkansas programs—those operational metrics matter more than modest earnings differences when the core question is whether students actually complete their credentials and enter practice.