U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 27 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 40% 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 $53,806. College Scorecard.
University of Dubuque 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 University of Dubuque'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 | $18,106 | $77,494 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $19,318 | $82,681 | 2.2 years |
| $48–75k | $19,480 | $83,374 | 2.3 years |
| $75–110k | $24,660 | $105,545 | 2.8 years |
| $110k+ | $25,908 | $110,886 | 3.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (32% 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 ($73,710) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $37,049 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 Iowa colleges
Every Iowa 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 | St Luke's Collegebachelor's & associate | $85,214 | $29,000 | $19,820 | 100% |
| 2 | Morningside University | $84,033 | $28,000 | $31,320 | 50% |
| 3 | Graceland University-Lamoni | $80,619 | $30,754 | $18,504 | 42% |
| 4 | Coe College | $79,294 | $27,000 | $18,745 | 66% |
| 5 | University of Iowa | $78,836 | $24,811 | $22,531 | 75% |
| 6 | Luther College | $77,569 | $27,000 | $23,097 | 71% |
| 7 | William Penn University | $76,625 | — | $22,601 | 33% |
| 8 | Upper Iowa University | $76,345 | $35,004 | $20,942 | 34% |
| 9 | Saint Ambrose University | $75,832 | $27,000 | $24,691 | 61% |
| 10 | Mount Mercy University | $75,613 | $27,000 | $20,168 | 58% |
| 11 | Clarke University | $74,114 | $27,000 | $24,479 | 56% |
| 12 | University of Dubuque | $73,710 | $29,750 | $23,386 | 40% |
| 13 | Allen College | $73,177 | $31,000 | — | — |
| 14 | Grand View University | $73,047 | $27,000 | $21,774 | 54% |
| 15 | Northwestern College | $71,322 | $27,000 | $25,907 | 66% |
| 16 | Mercy College of Health Sciences | $71,148 | $30,500 | $26,924 | 66% |
| 17 | Dordt University | $66,190 | $24,500 | $25,807 | 70% |
2 more Iowa 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 University of Dubuque, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of Dubuque
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 40% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $51,190
- Full cost breakdown · all 35 majors · overview
Related majors at University of Dubuque
- Health Administration—
University of Dubuque Nursing questions
How much do University of Dubuque Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of University of Dubuque earn a median $73,710 four years after graduating and $66,628 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do University of Dubuque Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of University of Dubuque is $29,750, about 40% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is University of Dubuque a good school for Nursing in Iowa?
On pay, Nursing graduates of University of Dubuque earn $73,710 four years out, $2,122 below the median for the same major across 17 Iowa colleges ($75,832) and $11,502 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Dubuque rank for Nursing in Iowa?
Of 17 Iowa colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, University of Dubuque ranks 12th; among the 16 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 11th. The highest is St Luke's College at $85,214.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $76,790 in the Dubuque, IA 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: “University of Dubuque Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-dubuque/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).