Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne

Among Indiana's nursing programs, University of Saint Francis sits in the middle of the pack for earnings, but the debt load tells a more troubling story. With $34,290 in student debt—roughly $14,000 above the national median for nursing associates degrees—graduates face a repayment burden nearly twice what their peers at comparable programs carry. That 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't disqualifying, but consider that many nursing programs nationally achieve similar or better outcomes with half the debt.

The earnings trajectory raises questions too. New graduates earn $64,983, which is respectable for an associate's nursing program, but four years later that number has actually declined to $62,336. While nursing salaries can plateau as shifts and overtime opportunities vary with life circumstances, you'd hope for some upward movement to justify the premium debt load. Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana's community college system, produces graduates earning essentially the same amount at entry with significantly lower debt.

For families who can afford the private university experience and value the smaller campus environment at Saint Francis, nursing remains a stable career path. But if cost is a primary concern, this program's debt burden weakens its value proposition compared to public alternatives in Indiana that lead to the same RN license and similar early-career earnings.