Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Washington Adventist University

Washington Adventist University's nursing graduates earn $85,352 their first year out—substantially more than the national median and placing them squarely in the middle of Maryland's competitive nursing market. While that 60th percentile ranking in Maryland means graduates here don't quite reach the earnings of University of Maryland Global Campus or Notre Dame grads, they're still out-earning their peers at several state schools. At the 84th percentile nationally, these are strong outcomes by any reasonable measure.

The catch is debt: at $47,033, graduates carry nearly double both the national and Maryland medians for nursing programs. Only 5% of comparable programs nationally leave students with higher debt loads. That said, the 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates earn nearly twice their debt in the first year, which is manageable for healthcare careers with steady employment. Given that 46% of students receive Pell grants, this higher debt likely reflects the student population's financial need rather than program inefficiency.

The value proposition here depends on alternatives. If your child has admission to Maryland's public nursing programs with their lower debt loads, that's worth serious consideration. But Washington Adventist delivers solid earnings that justify the investment—this isn't a concerning debt situation, just a more expensive path to the same strong nursing career outcomes that make Maryland an excellent state for healthcare professionals.