U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 97 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 33% 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 $47,091. College Scorecard.
GWU 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 GWU'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 | $15,304 | $77,591 | 1.9 years |
| $30–48k | $14,594 | $73,992 | 1.8 years |
| $48–75k | $13,769 | $69,809 | 1.7 years |
| $75–110k | $15,946 | $80,846 | 1.9 years |
| $110k+ | $22,438 | $113,761 | 2.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 5.1 years, the average time graduates took (6% 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 ($75,117) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $41,601 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 North Carolina colleges
Every North Carolina 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 Mount Olive | $93,698 | $27,094 | $18,853 | 52% |
| 2 | North Carolina Central University | $90,760 | $40,000 | $15,359 | 42% |
| 3 | Fayetteville State University | $88,701 | $22,052 | $7,892 | 38% |
| 4 | Duke University | $87,763 | $29,000 | $29,612 | 97% |
| 5 | Lees-McRae College | $87,523 | $23,125 | $28,340 | 42% |
| 6 | University of North Carolina Wilmington | $86,606 | $22,000 | $20,109 | 71% |
| 7 | Winston-Salem State University | $84,952 | $24,082 | $13,479 | 47% |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | $84,723 | $25,044 | $15,435 | 69% |
| 9 | Methodist University | $83,653 | $27,000 | $24,704 | 44% |
| 10 | East Carolina University | $82,250 | $25,264 | $15,739 | 63% |
| 11 | North Carolina A & T State University | $81,704 | $28,353 | $10,846 | 57% |
| 12 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro | $80,383 | $24,701 | $10,965 | 56% |
| 13 | Queens University of Charlotte | $79,586 | $31,757 | $30,857 | 61% |
| 14 | Western Carolina University | $79,533 | $23,163 | $13,315 | 60% |
| 15 | Campbell University | $79,506 | $26,000 | $24,516 | 61% |
| 16 | Barton College | $79,283 | $27,761 | $23,626 | 46% |
| 17 | Appalachian State University | $78,943 | $20,000 | $16,836 | 75% |
| 18 | Lenoir-Rhyne University | $78,839 | $26,300 | $20,689 | 48% |
| 19 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke | $78,674 | $29,710 | $10,260 | 44% |
| 20 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $78,585 | $23,026 | $11,655 | 91% |
| 21 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciencesmostly 2-year | $78,143 | $26,186 | $17,618 | 71% |
| 22 | Gardner-Webb University | $75,117 | $24,922 | $17,674 | 55% |
| 23 | Pfeiffer University | $75,033 | — | $19,076 | 35% |
| 24 | Mars Hill University | $74,707 | $24,636 | $19,910 | 45% |
| 25 | Wingate University | $68,636 | $27,000 | $20,748 | 46% |
9 more North Carolina 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 GWU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About GWU
- Acceptance rate: 77% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 55% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $48,039
- Full cost breakdown · all 39 majors · overview
Related majors at GWU
- Health Administration$47,089
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
GWU Nursing questions
How much do GWU Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Gardner-Webb University earn a median $75,117 four years after graduating and $71,337 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do GWU Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Gardner-Webb University is $24,922, about 33% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is GWU a good school for Nursing in North Carolina?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Gardner-Webb University earn $75,117 four years out, $4,469 below the median for the same major across 25 North Carolina colleges ($79,586) and $10,095 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does GWU rank for Nursing in North Carolina?
Of 25 North Carolina colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Gardner-Webb University ranks 22nd; among the 24 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 21st. The highest is University of Mount Olive at $93,698.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $84,350 in North Carolina 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: “Gardner-Webb University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/gardner-webb-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).