U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 100 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 29% 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 $56,826. College Scorecard.
SPU 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 SPU'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 | $20,735 | $88,953 | 1.7 years |
| $30–48k | $18,559 | $79,618 | 1.5 years |
| $48–75k | $19,332 | $82,934 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $27,976 | $120,017 | 2.3 years |
| $110k+ | $29,819 | $127,924 | 2.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (46% 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 ($93,334) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $53,115 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 Washington colleges
Every Washington 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 | Olympic Collegemostly 2-year | $110,085 | — | $7,172 | 31% |
| 2 | Walla Walla University | $101,497 | $29,500 | $23,329 | 60% |
| 3 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $98,632 | $18,750 | $14,091 | 85% |
| 4 | University of Washington-Bothell Campus | $98,632 | $18,750 | $12,319 | 65% |
| 5 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | $98,632 | $18,750 | $10,163 | 63% |
| 6 | Western Washington University | $96,695 | $20,146 | $21,193 | 65% |
| 7 | Gonzaga University | $95,155 | $27,000 | $35,119 | 86% |
| 8 | Bellevue Collegemostly 2-year | $93,424 | $20,379 | $11,430 | 36% |
| 9 | Seattle Pacific University | $93,334 | $27,000 | $24,488 | 62% |
| 10 | Pacific Lutheran University | $91,528 | $29,000 | $19,589 | 69% |
| 11 | Washington State University | $91,495 | $21,500 | $14,971 | 61% |
| 12 | Seattle University | $90,918 | $25,000 | $34,662 | 76% |
| 13 | Wenatchee Valley Collegemostly 2-year | $90,618 | $12,247 | $9,722 | 43% |
| 14 | Northwest University | $89,673 | $25,893 | $22,288 | 71% |
| 15 | Whitworth University | $82,980 | $24,950 | $26,534 | 71% |
4 more Washington 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 SPU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About SPU
- Acceptance rate: 83% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 62% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $64,506
- Full cost breakdown · all 56 majors · overview
SPU Nursing questions
How much do SPU Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Seattle Pacific University earn a median $93,334 four years after graduating and $81,671 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do SPU Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Seattle Pacific University is $27,000, about 29% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is SPU a good school for Nursing in Washington?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Seattle Pacific University earn $93,334 four years out, $90 below the median for the same major across 15 Washington colleges ($93,424) and $8,122 above the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does SPU rank for Nursing in Washington?
Of 15 Washington colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Seattle Pacific University ranks 9th; among the 12 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 7th. The highest is Olympic College at $110,085.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $128,260 in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
Is SPU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing SPU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “Seattle Pacific University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/seattle-pacific-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).