U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 157 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 28% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $22,808. College Scorecard.
ATU Nursing: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses ATU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $12,426 | $53,556 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $11,165 | $48,121 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $13,130 | $56,590 | 1.1 years |
| $75–110k | $14,675 | $63,249 | 1.2 years |
| $110k+ | $15,543 | $66,990 | 1.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (32% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Nursing graduates 4 years after graduating ($84,719) minus $32,399 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $52,320 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Nursing at Arkansas colleges
Every Arkansas college we cover that reports Nursing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | $88,617 | $32,419 | $17,248 | 42% |
| 2 | Arkansas State University | $88,611 | $26,355 | $12,366 | 55% |
| 3 | University of Arkansas | $84,911 | $24,327 | $18,209 | 71% |
| 4 | Arkansas Tech Universitymostly 2-year | $84,719 | $23,424 | $12,970 | 49% |
| 5 | University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | $79,413 | $25,000 | — | — |
| 6 | University of Central Arkansas | $76,783 | $25,000 | $16,511 | 54% |
| 7 | University of Arkansas-Fort Smithbachelor's & associate | $73,708 | $24,250 | $10,574 | 38% |
| 8 | Harding University | $71,872 | $30,000 | $22,130 | 69% |
| 9 | University of Arkansas at Monticellobachelor's & associate | $71,629 | — | $14,287 | 49% |
| 10 | Southern Arkansas University Main Campus | $70,185 | $24,750 | $14,027 | 49% |
| 11 | Henderson State University | $68,733 | $21,500 | $23,405 | 37% |
| 12 | John Brown University | $64,963 | $29,291 | $20,397 | 72% |
2 more Arkansas colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Nursing graduates
Registered nurse
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Medical and Health Services Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +24.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at ATU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About ATU
- Acceptance rate: 96% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 49% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $41,766
- Full cost breakdown · all 50 majors · overview
Related majors at ATU
- Health Administration$42,985
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
ATU Nursing questions
How much do ATU Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn a median $84,719 four years after graduating and $68,794 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do ATU Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Arkansas Tech University is $23,424, about 28% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is ATU a good school for Nursing in Arkansas?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn $84,719 four years out, $9,473 above the median for the same major across 12 Arkansas colleges ($75,246) and $493 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does ATU rank for Nursing in Arkansas?
Of 12 Arkansas colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Arkansas Tech University ranks 4th. The highest is University of Arkansas at Little Rock at $88,617.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $78,940 in Arkansas and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Arkansas Tech University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/arkansas-tech-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).