U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 85 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 $19,601. College Scorecard.
Shepherd 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 Shepherd 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 | $7,906 | $34,865 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $7,753 | $34,191 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $10,107 | $44,572 | 1.0 years |
| $75–110k | $14,000 | $61,740 | 1.3 years |
| $110k+ | $15,866 | $69,969 | 1.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (33% 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 ($78,764) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $46,069 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 West Virginia colleges
Every West Virginia 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 | Davis & Elkins College | $105,127 | — | $18,273 | 39% |
| 2 | Fairmont State University | $86,071 | $33,625 | $9,032 | 44% |
| 3 | University of Charleston | $83,847 | $27,250 | $22,107 | 46% |
| 4 | Potomac State College of West Virginia Universitymostly 2-year | $83,750 | $26,000 | $9,197 | 31% |
| 5 | West Virginia University Institute of Technology | $83,750 | $26,000 | $9,337 | 33% |
| 6 | West Virginia University | $83,750 | $26,000 | $15,634 | 65% |
| 7 | Bluefield State University | $82,760 | $26,000 | $13,684 | 37% |
| 8 | West Liberty University | $82,117 | $29,408 | $15,366 | 60% |
| 9 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | $80,901 | $27,000 | $18,083 | 57% |
| 10 | Shepherd University | $78,764 | $27,206 | $11,363 | 51% |
| 11 | West Virginia University at Parkersburgbachelor's & associate | $77,910 | $18,223 | $1,807 | 9% |
| 12 | Marshall University | $77,609 | $27,000 | $7,502 | 51% |
2 more West Virginia 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 Shepherd University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Shepherd University
- Acceptance rate: 97% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $49,358
- Full cost breakdown · all 33 majors · overview
Related majors at Shepherd University
- Health Sciences$56,953
Shepherd University Nursing questions
How much do Shepherd University Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Shepherd University earn a median $78,764 four years after graduating and $75,914 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do Shepherd University Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Shepherd University is $27,206, about 35% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is Shepherd University a good school for Nursing in West Virginia?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Shepherd University earn $78,764 four years out, $4,491 below the median for the same major across 12 West Virginia colleges ($83,255) and $6,448 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Shepherd University rank for Nursing in West Virginia?
Of 12 West Virginia colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Shepherd University ranks 10th; among the 10 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 9th. The highest is Davis & Elkins College at $105,127.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $102,710 in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
Is Shepherd University the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Shepherd University 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: “Shepherd University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/shepherd-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).