U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 134 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 $21,595. College Scorecard.
MWSU 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 MWSU'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 | $11,243 | $50,369 | 1.3 years |
| $30–48k | $11,674 | $52,300 | 1.3 years |
| $48–75k | $13,965 | $62,563 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $16,119 | $72,213 | 1.8 years |
| $110k+ | $17,764 | $79,583 | 2.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (24% 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 ($74,875) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MO (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $39,437 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 Missouri colleges
Every Missouri 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 | Lindenwood University | $97,217 | — | $19,638 | 49% |
| 2 | University of Missouri-Kansas City | $88,249 | $31,000 | $13,310 | 55% |
| 3 | Southeast Missouri State University | $85,155 | $26,000 | $15,882 | 58% |
| 4 | Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | $85,140 | $27,000 | $22,766 | 51% |
| 5 | Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies | $85,140 | $27,000 | $14,601 | 0% |
| 6 | University of Missouri-Columbia | $83,231 | $23,250 | $20,268 | 75% |
| 7 | Saint Louis University | $81,525 | $25,000 | $24,398 | 80% |
| 8 | Cox College | $81,520 | $31,000 | — | 100% |
| 9 | University of Central Missouri | $80,542 | $25,581 | $14,462 | 54% |
| 10 | Rockhurst University | $79,817 | $27,000 | $25,884 | 75% |
| 11 | Missouri State University-Springfield | $79,615 | $26,631 | $17,613 | 58% |
| 12 | Lincoln University | $79,520 | $28,500 | $19,092 | 21% |
| 13 | William Jewell College | $79,507 | $27,000 | $17,562 | 68% |
| 14 | Maryville University of Saint Louis | $79,219 | $29,881 | $22,066 | 66% |
| 15 | Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing | $79,126 | $27,750 | — | — |
| 16 | Columbia College | $78,632 | $35,000 | $22,715 | 42% |
| 17 | University of Missouri-St Louis | $78,608 | $27,000 | $15,071 | 57% |
| 18 | Southwest Baptist University | $78,525 | $29,171 | $21,677 | 55% |
| 19 | Truman State University | $77,315 | $25,094 | $12,780 | 69% |
| 20 | Missouri Southern State University | $75,985 | $25,774 | $12,007 | 42% |
| 21 | Missouri Western State University | $74,875 | $25,000 | $13,251 | 39% |
| 22 | Avila University | $74,562 | $27,000 | $16,053 | 52% |
| 23 | Culver-Stockton College | $69,713 | — | $21,983 | 39% |
| 24 | Park University | $65,225 | $34,094 | $21,032 | 38% |
| 25 | Evangel University | $61,176 | — | $18,669 | 65% |
| 26 | College of the Ozarks | $60,192 | — | $6,100 | 64% |
9 more Missouri 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 MWSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About MWSU
- Acceptance rate: — · admissions
- Graduation rate: 39% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $42,647
- Full cost breakdown · all 47 majors · overview
Related majors at MWSU
- Health Administration$48,596
- Public Health—
MWSU Nursing questions
How much do MWSU Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Missouri Western State University earn a median $74,875 four years after graduating and $70,938 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do MWSU Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Missouri Western State University is $25,000, about 33% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is MWSU a good school for Nursing in Missouri?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Missouri Western State University earn $74,875 four years out, $4,488 below the median for the same major across 26 Missouri colleges ($79,363) and $10,337 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does MWSU rank for Nursing in Missouri?
Of 26 Missouri colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Missouri Western State University ranks 21st. The highest is Lindenwood University at $97,217.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $77,240 in the St. Joseph, MO-KS 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: “Missouri Western State University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/missouri-western-state-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).