U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 155 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 37% 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 $22,233. College Scorecard.
Austin Peay State University 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 Austin Peay State University'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 | $7,588 | $33,842 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $8,768 | $39,105 | 1.0 years |
| $48–75k | $10,077 | $44,943 | 1.2 years |
| $75–110k | $13,537 | $60,375 | 1.5 years |
| $110k+ | $15,078 | $67,248 | 1.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (27% 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 ($73,564) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $39,046 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 Tennessee colleges
Every Tennessee college we cover that reports Nursing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee State University | $92,380 | $31,000 | $15,796 | 34% |
| 2 | Christian Brothers University | $92,007 | — | $9,854 | 55% |
| 3 | Southern Adventist University | $83,525 | $28,191 | $24,345 | 49% |
| 4 | King University | $83,010 | $25,000 | $22,347 | 48% |
| 5 | Milligan University | $82,961 | $27,000 | $21,365 | 63% |
| 6 | Baptist Health Sciences University | $82,135 | $47,500 | $11,212 | 40% |
| 7 | Bethel University | $80,794 | $25,000 | $12,595 | 35% |
| 8 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | $80,055 | $29,537 | — | — |
| 9 | Lincoln Memorial University | $79,561 | $27,750 | $20,406 | 50% |
| 10 | Belmont University | $79,069 | $25,625 | $33,147 | 71% |
| 11 | Cumberland University | $78,954 | $29,250 | $18,759 | 46% |
| 12 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | $77,838 | $23,558 | $14,265 | 50% |
| 13 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $77,118 | $23,292 | $18,976 | 74% |
| 14 | The University of Tennessee-Martin | $77,092 | $25,231 | $10,701 | 53% |
| 15 | University of Memphis | $75,444 | $27,168 | $12,397 | 51% |
| 16 | Middle Tennessee State University | $75,061 | $27,884 | $13,359 | 54% |
| 17 | East Tennessee State University | $74,311 | $25,091 | $15,983 | 53% |
| 18 | Lipscomb University | $74,051 | $26,623 | $24,739 | 72% |
| 19 | Austin Peay State University | $73,564 | $27,576 | $9,735 | 40% |
| 20 | Union University | $72,824 | $29,127 | $27,171 | 66% |
| 21 | Tennessee Technological University | $71,762 | $18,349 | $14,246 | 58% |
| 22 | Tennessee Wesleyan University | $71,084 | — | $14,836 | 48% |
| 23 | Carson-Newman University | $70,769 | $25,000 | $20,251 | 53% |
| 24 | Lee University | $70,388 | $25,300 | $18,878 | 63% |
| 25 | Freed-Hardeman University | $67,718 | $24,800 | $21,574 | 71% |
| 26 | Tusculum University | $65,012 | $26,744 | $21,131 | 25% |
| 27 | The University of Tennessee Southern | $45,980 | $25,683 | $12,798 | 37% |
2 more Tennessee 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 Austin Peay State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Austin Peay State University
- Acceptance rate: 96% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 40% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $44,301
- Full cost breakdown · all 38 majors · overview
Related majors at Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University Nursing questions
How much do Austin Peay State University Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Austin Peay State University earn a median $73,564 four years after graduating and $68,235 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do Austin Peay State University Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Austin Peay State University is $27,576, about 37% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is Austin Peay State University a good school for Nursing in Tennessee?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Austin Peay State University earn $73,564 four years out, $3,541 below the median for the same major across 28 Tennessee colleges ($77,105) and $11,648 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Austin Peay State University rank for Nursing in Tennessee?
Of 27 Tennessee colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Austin Peay State University ranks 19th. The highest is Tennessee State University at $92,380.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $79,450 in the Clarksville, TN-KY area 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: “Austin Peay State University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/austin-peay-state-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).