Washburn University Nursing: earnings, debt & careers

Nursing graduates of Washburn University earn a median $79,109 four years after graduating ($71,210 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $25,250. That is $6,103 below the U.S. median for Nursing graduates ($85,212 across 858 colleges), and ranks 6th of 15 Kansas colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$79,109

U.S. median for this major: $85,212.

College Scorecard field of study; 199 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$71,210

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$25,250

About 32% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$15,280 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $21,512. College Scorecard.

Washburn University Nursing: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Washburn University graduates$79,109
Kansas median (15 colleges)$78,299 (+$810)
U.S. median (858 colleges)$85,212 (−$6,103)

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.

Nursing nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Washburn University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$20,310$91,1922.0 years
$30–48k$9,693$43,5221.0 years
$48–75k$10,758$48,3031.1 years
$75–110k$13,922$62,5101.4 years
$110k+$15,472$69,4691.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (25% 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 ($79,109) minus $34,216 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $44,893 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 Kansas colleges

Every Kansas 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.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Ottawa University-Ottawa$92,782$34,747$27,96328%
2Ottawa University-Kansas City$92,782$34,747——
3University of Saint Mary$85,587$29,000$22,51948%
4Southwestern College$85,029$46,120$29,82436%
5Fort Hays State University$79,957$24,726$12,56948%
6Washburn University$79,109$25,250$15,28053%
7University of Kansas$78,601$20,500$18,05969%
8MidAmerica Nazarene University$78,299$26,620$32,16554%
9Baker University$78,233$29,577$25,30158%
10Hesston Collegebachelor's & associate$78,050$27,000$26,29961%
11Newman University$77,122$25,500$19,97153%
12Wichita State University$75,784$27,750$13,19451%
13Bethel College-North Newton$75,293$27,000$32,91741%
14Emporia State University$71,002$24,440$16,26156%
15Pittsburg State Universitybachelor's & associate$70,657$22,791$15,78457%

4 more Kansas colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Nursing graduates

Registered nurse

Topeka area$81,820
Kansas$79,320
U.S.$97,550

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Medical and Health Services Managers

Topeka area$109,490
Kansas$111,030
U.S.$123,860

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 Washburn University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Washburn University

Related majors at Washburn University

Washburn University Nursing questions

How much do Washburn University Nursing graduates earn?

Nursing graduates of Washburn University earn a median $79,109 four years after graduating and $71,210 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.

How much debt do Washburn University Nursing graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Washburn University is $25,250, about 32% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.

Is Washburn University a good school for Nursing in Kansas?

On pay, Nursing graduates of Washburn University earn $79,109 four years out, $810 above the median for the same major across 15 Kansas colleges ($78,299) and $6,103 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Washburn University rank for Nursing in Kansas?

Of 15 Kansas colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Washburn University ranks 6th. The highest is Ottawa University-Ottawa at $92,782.

What jobs do Nursing graduates get?

A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $81,820 in the Topeka, KS 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
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Cite this: “Washburn University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/washburn-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).