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

This BSN program starts with concerning numbers: first-year earnings of $63,323 fall well below what nursing graduates typically command in Arkansas ($69,618 statewide median) and dramatically trail the national benchmark of $74,888. More troubling is the earnings trajectory—instead of growth, graduates see a 5% decline to $60,374 by year four. While estimated debt of around $24,750 remains manageable given the state's typical borrowing patterns for nursing programs, the earning power simply isn't competitive with peer schools in Arkansas, where programs at UALR, Arkansas State, and Henderson all produce first-year earnings above $72,000.

The financial math works in the narrowest sense—a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 suggests graduates can manage their loans—but that misses the bigger issue. A nurse leaving this program is earning roughly $15,000 less annually than one from Arkansas State, and that gap appears to widen rather than close over time. For a field where credentials and licenses are standardized, such a substantial earnings disadvantage points to either different employment outcomes (perhaps rural hospitals paying less) or preparation gaps that affect where graduates can work.

Parents should ask pointed questions about where recent graduates are employed and why earnings lag so far behind comparable Arkansas programs. The debt is estimated but reasonable; the earnings, however, are actual reported figures that place this program near the bottom statewide for nursing outcomes.