U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 224 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 31% 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 $28,596. College Scorecard.
University of Iowa 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 Iowa'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 | $15,316 | $64,940 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $15,489 | $65,673 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $19,930 | $84,503 | 2.0 years |
| $75–110k | $23,811 | $100,959 | 2.4 years |
| $110k+ | $26,266 | $111,368 | 2.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (57% 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 ($78,836) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $42,175 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 Iowa, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of Iowa
- Acceptance rate: 84% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 75% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $64,762
- Full cost breakdown · all 79 majors · overview
Related majors at University of Iowa
- Public Health—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$68,601
University of Iowa Nursing questions
How much do University of Iowa Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of University of Iowa earn a median $78,836 four years after graduating and $69,368 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do University of Iowa Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of University of Iowa is $24,811, about 31% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is University of Iowa a good school for Nursing in Iowa?
On pay, Nursing graduates of University of Iowa earn $78,836 four years out, $3,004 above the median for the same major across 17 Iowa colleges ($75,832) and $6,376 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Iowa rank for Nursing in Iowa?
Of 17 Iowa colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, University of Iowa ranks 5th; among the 16 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 4th. 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 $85,940 in the Iowa City, IA area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.
Is University of Iowa the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing University of Iowa 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: “University of Iowa Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-iowa/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).