Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of Maine at Augusta

Nursing associate's degree programs in Maine cluster tightly around $67,000-$69,000 in first-year earnings, and UMaine Augusta appears to land squarely in that range based on comparable programs statewide. The estimated $24,500 in debt sits just below Maine's median for similar nursing programs, producing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36—manageable territory where graduates could reasonably pay down loans within a few years while earning a living wage immediately.

What's less clear is why earnings appear to dip to $62,000 by year four, when nursing careers typically show steady wage growth. This reported figure might reflect graduates moving into part-time work, changing specialties, or leaving the profession—or it could simply be a data quirk from a small sample. Either way, it suggests you shouldn't assume automatic salary progression in the early years.

The practical calculation: if your child completes this program with debt near the estimated $24,500, they'd be looking at roughly $275 in monthly loan payments against a take-home salary in the low $50,000s. That's workable in Maine's nursing market, where demand remains strong. Just verify that UMaine Augusta's specific clinical partnerships and NCLEX pass rates align with the stronger programs in the state—the earnings may be similar across schools, but preparation quality can vary considerably.