U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 246 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 35% 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 $21,676. College Scorecard.
Columbus 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 Columbus 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 | $11,271 | $51,621 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $11,873 | $54,378 | 1.0 years |
| $48–75k | $13,786 | $63,140 | 1.1 years |
| $75–110k | $16,542 | $75,762 | 1.3 years |
| $110k+ | $18,329 | $83,947 | 1.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (22% 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 ($89,659) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $56,143 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 Georgia colleges
Every Georgia 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 | Emory University | $101,903 | $25,000 | $22,585 | 91% |
| 2 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | $98,328 | $26,298 | $6,842 | 36% |
| 3 | Clayton State University | $96,160 | $37,783 | $8,365 | 40% |
| 4 | Georgia Highlands Collegemostly 2-year | $95,596 | $16,044 | $6,928 | 21% |
| 5 | Thomas University | $92,116 | $31,188 | $18,499 | 28% |
| 6 | Herzing University-Atlantabachelor's & associate | $91,010 | $43,985 | $21,679 | 14% |
| 7 | LaGrange College | $90,392 | $26,000 | $20,875 | 47% |
| 8 | Georgia Gwinnett College | $90,106 | — | $15,844 | 21% |
| 9 | Columbus State University | $89,659 | $30,980 | $13,115 | 42% |
| 10 | Brenau University | $88,731 | $42,187 | $18,924 | 33% |
| 11 | Kennesaw State University | $87,935 | $25,093 | $15,048 | 52% |
| 12 | Albany State University | $87,799 | $32,324 | $11,898 | 31% |
| 13 | Georgia State University | $87,146 | $26,430 | $15,931 | 53% |
| 14 | University of West Georgia | $86,904 | $25,000 | $12,786 | 43% |
| 15 | Mercer University | $85,030 | $29,161 | $23,847 | 70% |
| 16 | Dalton State College | $84,253 | $17,312 | $5,012 | 25% |
| 17 | Georgia College & State University | $83,058 | $25,000 | $20,686 | 64% |
| 18 | Berry College | $83,008 | $26,250 | $22,320 | 69% |
| 19 | East Georgia State Collegemostly 2-year | $82,849 | $19,031 | $9,626 | 17% |
| 20 | Gordon State Collegebachelor's & associate | $82,747 | $22,151 | $8,105 | 20% |
| 21 | University of North Georgia | $81,887 | $19,743 | $9,823 | 37% |
| 22 | College of Coastal Georgia | $81,657 | $20,543 | $15,261 | 26% |
| 23 | Georgia Southwestern State University | $80,811 | $24,250 | $12,019 | 41% |
| 24 | Georgia Southern University | $79,988 | $27,277 | $15,267 | 55% |
| 25 | Piedmont University | $79,552 | $29,875 | $20,599 | 47% |
| 26 | Augusta University | $78,004 | $22,956 | $13,787 | 49% |
| 27 | Valdosta State University | $77,890 | $27,301 | $10,945 | 42% |
| 28 | South Georgia State Collegebachelor's & associate | $77,175 | $19,740 | $8,767 | 16% |
| 29 | Shorter University | $75,924 | $26,942 | $16,646 | 38% |
| 30 | Middle Georgia State University | $72,255 | $23,000 | $12,361 | 25% |
| 31 | Truett McConnell University | $69,133 | $27,000 | $22,227 | 38% |
| 32 | Wesleyan College | $67,603 | $38,170 | $12,724 | 45% |
2 more Georgia 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 Columbus State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Columbus State University
- Acceptance rate: 99% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 42% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $44,544
- Full cost breakdown · all 34 majors · overview
Related majors at Columbus State University
- Health Sciences$45,997
Columbus State University Nursing questions
How much do Columbus State University Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Columbus State University earn a median $89,659 four years after graduating and $74,454 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do Columbus State University Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Columbus State University is $30,980, about 35% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is Columbus State University a good school for Nursing in Georgia?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Columbus State University earn $89,659 four years out, $6,003 above the median for the same major across 32 Georgia colleges ($83,656) and $4,447 above the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Columbus State University rank for Nursing in Georgia?
Of 32 Georgia colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Columbus State University ranks 9th; among the 27 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 7th. The highest is Emory University at $101,903.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $82,500 in the Columbus, GA-AL 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: “Columbus State University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbus-state-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).