Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

UAMS nursing graduates face a puzzling situation: despite attending Arkansas's flagship medical institution, their $67,337 starting salary trails the state median by $2,300 and lands well below every comparable Arkansas program. Even University of Arkansas at Little Rock's BSN graduates out-earn them by nearly $12,000 annually—a gap that compounds significantly over a career.

The debt picture offers modest relief at $25,000 (matching the state median), creating a manageable 0.37 ratio to first-year earnings. However, the flat earnings trajectory raises questions about why UAMS graduates aren't commanding premium salaries given the institution's medical center prestige. Ranking in just the 40th percentile statewide suggests this program may not translate institutional reputation into graduate outcomes as effectively as parents might expect.

For Arkansas families committed to staying in-state, this represents an odd value proposition: you're paying for a brand-name medical institution but getting middle-of-the-pack nursing salaries that actually decline slightly over the first four years. Unless the UAMS credential opens specific doors (research positions, academic medical centers) that justify the earnings gap, families should seriously consider stronger-performing alternatives like UA Little Rock or Arkansas State, where graduates start $6,000-$11,000 higher with similar debt loads.