U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 221 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 $28,679. College Scorecard.
University of Wisconsin-Madison 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 Wisconsin-Madison'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 | $4,200 | $17,640 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $4,101 | $17,224 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $8,134 | $34,163 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $17,763 | $74,605 | 1.6 years |
| $110k+ | $27,292 | $114,626 | 2.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% 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 ($85,579) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $48,015 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 Wisconsin colleges
Every Wisconsin 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 | Herzing University-Madisonbachelor's & associate | $91,010 | $43,985 | $22,327 | 28% |
| 2 | Herzing University-Kenosha | $91,010 | $43,985 | $23,066 | 72% |
| 3 | Herzing University-Brookfieldbachelor's & associate | $91,010 | $43,985 | $20,514 | 42% |
| 4 | Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosamostly 2-year | $89,336 | $40,664 | $14,858 | 20% |
| 5 | Marquette University | $88,069 | $22,000 | $31,487 | 83% |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | $85,579 | $25,000 | $17,354 | 90% |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | $84,588 | $28,045 | $13,369 | 48% |
| 8 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | $82,822 | $31,666 | $22,453 | 67% |
| 9 | Wisconsin Lutheran College | $82,669 | $27,000 | $23,245 | 64% |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | $81,789 | $18,987 | $14,559 | 51% |
| 11 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | $81,505 | $28,750 | $36,201 | 68% |
| 12 | Alverno College | $81,388 | $34,000 | $22,540 | 49% |
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | $81,067 | $27,000 | $15,014 | 49% |
| 14 | Edgewood College | $79,577 | $27,000 | $26,113 | 60% |
| 15 | Marian University | $79,278 | $27,000 | $21,937 | 44% |
| 16 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $78,912 | $20,500 | $16,550 | 64% |
| 17 | Carroll University | $78,698 | $27,000 | $15,193 | 71% |
| 18 | Bellin College | $77,754 | $27,000 | $37,408 | 63% |
| 19 | Viterbo University | $77,735 | $29,013 | $21,260 | 68% |
| 20 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | $77,490 | $25,000 | $14,305 | 46% |
| 21 | Maranatha Baptist University | $67,509 | — | $26,005 | 64% |
3 more Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin-Madison, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Acceptance rate: 45% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 90% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $73,792
- Full cost breakdown · all 99 majors · overview
Related majors at University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$57,745
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration—
University of Wisconsin-Madison Nursing questions
How much do University of Wisconsin-Madison Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of University of Wisconsin-Madison earn a median $85,579 four years after graduating and $75,513 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do University of Wisconsin-Madison Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of University of Wisconsin-Madison is $25,000, about 29% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is University of Wisconsin-Madison a good school for Nursing in Wisconsin?
On pay, Nursing graduates of University of Wisconsin-Madison earn $85,579 four years out, $4,133 above the median for the same major across 22 Wisconsin colleges ($81,446) and $367 above the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Wisconsin-Madison rank for Nursing in Wisconsin?
Of 21 Wisconsin colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks 6th; among the 18 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 3rd. The highest is Herzing University-Madison at $91,010.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $101,190 in the Madison, WI 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 Wisconsin-Madison Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).