Eastern Kentucky University Nursing: earnings, debt & careers

Nursing graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median $83,920 four years after graduating ($68,633 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $27,370. That is $1,292 below the U.S. median for Nursing graduates ($85,212 across 858 colleges), and ranks 5th of 15 Kentucky colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$83,920

U.S. median for this major: $85,212.

College Scorecard field of study; 278 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$68,633

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$27,370

About 33% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$11,040 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $23,735. College Scorecard.

Eastern Kentucky University Nursing: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Eastern Kentucky University graduates$83,920
Kentucky median (15 colleges)$81,941 (+$1,979)
U.S. median (858 colleges)$85,212 (−$1,292)

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.

Nursing nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Eastern Kentucky University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$8,591$37,199under 1 year
$30–48k$8,005$34,662under 1 year
$48–75k$10,382$44,954under 1 year
$75–110k$14,384$62,2831.2 years
$110k+$17,009$73,6491.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (40% 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 ($83,920) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $50,404 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 Kentucky colleges

Every Kentucky college we cover that reports Nursing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Kentucky Christian University$96,766$27,750$24,03837%
2University of the Cumberlands$94,183$29,400$14,10750%
3Union Commonwealth University$87,221$27,830$21,31132%
4Morehead State University$85,740$29,000$9,79352%
5Eastern Kentucky University$83,920$27,370$11,04050%
6Bellarmine University$82,814$30,800$21,49964%
7Thomas More University$82,426$28,000$21,83541%
8University of Kentucky$81,941$27,000$18,85171%
9Campbellsville University$79,651$28,500$19,34142%
10University of Louisville$78,902$23,205$17,98861%
11Spalding University$77,983$30,750$25,49152%
12Northern Kentucky University$77,404$31,000$8,19152%
13Western Kentucky University$73,496$26,330$10,99056%
14Murray State University$72,462$25,082$9,09661%
15Lindsey Wilson College$69,656$23,000$15,07044%

4 more Kentucky colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Nursing graduates

Registered nurse

Kentucky$81,040
U.S.$97,550

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Medical and Health Services Managers

Kentucky$103,450
U.S.$123,860

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 Eastern Kentucky University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Eastern Kentucky University

Related majors at Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky University Nursing questions

How much do Eastern Kentucky University Nursing graduates earn?

Nursing graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median $83,920 four years after graduating and $68,633 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.

How much debt do Eastern Kentucky University Nursing graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Eastern Kentucky University is $27,370, about 33% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.

Is Eastern Kentucky University a good school for Nursing in Kentucky?

On pay, Nursing graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn $83,920 four years out, $1,979 above the median for the same major across 15 Kentucky colleges ($81,941) and $1,292 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Eastern Kentucky University rank for Nursing in Kentucky?

Of 15 Kentucky colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Eastern Kentucky University ranks 5th. The highest is Kentucky Christian University at $96,766.

What jobs do Nursing graduates get?

A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $81,040 in Kentucky and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.

Is Eastern Kentucky University the right fit for your family?

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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
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Cite this: “Eastern Kentucky University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/eastern-kentucky-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).