Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of Northwestern-St Paul

Northwestern's nursing program starts strong with $75,000 in first-year earnings, but the trajectory tells a concerning story: by year four, graduates are earning $69,540—a 7% decline that's unusual in nursing, where steady career advancement is typically the norm. Among Minnesota's 27 nursing programs, this ranks only in the 40th percentile, trailing significantly behind competitors like Augsburg ($80,574) and Minnesota State Moorhead ($78,006). The robust sample size of 100+ graduates makes this pattern hard to dismiss as a statistical fluke.

The $31,000 debt load is reasonable—below both state and national medians—but it doesn't offset the earnings concerns. Your child would start with manageable debt (just 41% of first-year income), yet five years into their career, they'd likely be earning less than they did as new graduates. This backward trajectory suggests either that graduates struggle to advance into higher-paying specialties, or that many leave nursing entirely.

For this tuition investment, you should expect more than below-median state performance and declining earnings. Unless your child has specific reasons to attend Northwestern (faith-based education, campus community), Minnesota offers multiple nursing programs with stronger financial outcomes at similar or lower debt levels.