U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 209 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 30% 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 $33,678. College Scorecard.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 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 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville'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 | $10,029 | $42,924 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $12,162 | $52,053 | 1.2 years |
| $48–75k | $18,206 | $77,922 | 1.8 years |
| $75–110k | $23,627 | $101,124 | 2.4 years |
| $110k+ | $25,688 | $109,945 | 2.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($77,118) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $42,600 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 Tennessee colleges
Every Tennessee 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 | Tennessee State University | $92,380 | $31,000 | $15,796 | 34% |
| 2 | Christian Brothers University | $92,007 | — | $9,854 | 55% |
| 3 | Southern Adventist University | $83,525 | $28,191 | $24,345 | 49% |
| 4 | King University | $83,010 | $25,000 | $22,347 | 48% |
| 5 | Milligan University | $82,961 | $27,000 | $21,365 | 63% |
| 6 | Baptist Health Sciences University | $82,135 | $47,500 | $11,212 | 40% |
| 7 | Bethel University | $80,794 | $25,000 | $12,595 | 35% |
| 8 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | $80,055 | $29,537 | — | — |
| 9 | Lincoln Memorial University | $79,561 | $27,750 | $20,406 | 50% |
| 10 | Belmont University | $79,069 | $25,625 | $33,147 | 71% |
| 11 | Cumberland University | $78,954 | $29,250 | $18,759 | 46% |
| 12 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga | $77,838 | $23,558 | $14,265 | 50% |
| 13 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville | $77,118 | $23,292 | $18,976 | 74% |
| 14 | The University of Tennessee-Martin | $77,092 | $25,231 | $10,701 | 53% |
| 15 | University of Memphis | $75,444 | $27,168 | $12,397 | 51% |
| 16 | Middle Tennessee State University | $75,061 | $27,884 | $13,359 | 54% |
| 17 | East Tennessee State University | $74,311 | $25,091 | $15,983 | 53% |
| 18 | Lipscomb University | $74,051 | $26,623 | $24,739 | 72% |
| 19 | Austin Peay State University | $73,564 | $27,576 | $9,735 | 40% |
| 20 | Union University | $72,824 | $29,127 | $27,171 | 66% |
| 21 | Tennessee Technological University | $71,762 | $18,349 | $14,246 | 58% |
| 22 | Tennessee Wesleyan University | $71,084 | — | $14,836 | 48% |
| 23 | Carson-Newman University | $70,769 | $25,000 | $20,251 | 53% |
| 24 | Lee University | $70,388 | $25,300 | $18,878 | 63% |
| 25 | Freed-Hardeman University | $67,718 | $24,800 | $21,574 | 71% |
| 26 | Tusculum University | $65,012 | $26,744 | $21,131 | 25% |
| 27 | The University of Tennessee Southern | $45,980 | $25,683 | $12,798 | 37% |
2 more Tennessee 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 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- Acceptance rate: 42% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 74% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $60,249
- Full cost breakdown · all 82 majors · overview
Related majors at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville
- Public Health—
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Nursing questions
How much do The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earn a median $77,118 four years after graduating and $65,298 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is $23,292, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville a good school for Nursing in Tennessee?
On pay, Nursing graduates of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville earn $77,118 four years out, $13 above the median for the same major across 28 Tennessee colleges ($77,105) and $8,094 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville rank for Nursing in Tennessee?
Of 27 Tennessee colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville ranks 13th. The highest is Tennessee State University at $92,380.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $77,240 in the Knoxville, TN area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
Is The University of Tennessee-Knoxville 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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).