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

University of Southern Maine's nursing program shows an unusual pattern that deserves scrutiny: graduates earn $71,675 in their first year but see that drop to $63,969 by year four—an 11% decline when most nursing careers are climbing. This puts USM in the bottom half of Maine nursing programs, ranking 40th percentile statewide. Compare that to University of Maine at Augusta grads earning $83K or University of New England's $78K, and you're looking at a $14,000 annual gap that compounds over time.

The $29,242 debt load is reasonable by nursing standards—essentially in line with both state and national medians—and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 means your child could realistically pay this off within a couple years. But that calculation assumes earnings stay flat rather than continue declining. With 100+ graduates in the data, this backward trajectory isn't a fluke. It might reflect employment patterns specific to Portland-area healthcare systems, or graduates taking less intensive roles after initial hospital positions.

The bottom line: If your child is set on USM for other reasons (proximity, fit, scholarship), the debt is manageable. But purely from a financial standpoint, Maine has stronger nursing programs at similar price points that show the earnings growth you'd expect in this profession.