U.S. median for this major: $85,212.
College Scorecard field of study; 180 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 35% 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 $29,237. College Scorecard.
WMU 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 WMU'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 | $5,263 | $24,262 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $5,734 | $26,434 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $13,833 | $63,770 | 1.3 years |
| $75–110k | $18,307 | $84,395 | 1.7 years |
| $110k+ | $23,625 | $108,911 | 2.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (29% 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 ($83,449) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $50,038 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 Michigan colleges
Every Michigan 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 | Spring Arbor University | $91,869 | $29,748 | $19,353 | 64% |
| 2 | Rochester University | $90,425 | $35,500 | $21,456 | 44% |
| 3 | University of Michigan-Flint | $86,401 | $39,231 | $7,007 | 40% |
| 4 | Eastern Michigan University | $85,611 | $28,500 | $15,407 | 46% |
| 5 | Wayne State University | $84,405 | $30,165 | $12,766 | 58% |
| 6 | Western Michigan University | $83,449 | $28,850 | $15,273 | 58% |
| 7 | Siena Heights University | $82,539 | $27,000 | $17,124 | 39% |
| 8 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $82,265 | $19,000 | $13,138 | 93% |
| 9 | Ferris State University | $81,718 | $27,000 | $8,624 | 47% |
| 10 | Oakland University | $81,667 | $29,430 | $9,120 | 58% |
| 11 | University of Detroit Mercy | $81,602 | $29,000 | $15,232 | 67% |
| 12 | Concordia University Ann Arbor | $81,505 | $28,750 | $32,811 | 48% |
| 13 | Saginaw Valley State University | $81,103 | $28,000 | $10,775 | 48% |
| 14 | Alma College | $80,386 | — | $20,694 | 63% |
| 15 | Michigan State University | $80,129 | $28,500 | $19,680 | 81% |
| 16 | Madonna University | $79,682 | $31,000 | $17,755 | 60% |
| 17 | Grand Valley State University | $79,188 | $27,000 | $16,317 | 67% |
| 18 | Davenport University | $78,357 | $46,829 | $17,707 | 57% |
| 19 | Baker College | $77,840 | $45,086 | $13,157 | 36% |
| 20 | Northern Michigan University | $77,670 | $28,000 | $14,085 | 52% |
| 21 | Hope College | $75,738 | $27,000 | $27,182 | 80% |
| 22 | Calvin University | $74,810 | $26,924 | $22,992 | 74% |
| 23 | Lake Superior State University | $70,959 | $27,000 | $12,822 | 51% |
5 more Michigan 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 WMU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About WMU
- Acceptance rate: 85% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 58% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $53,562
- Full cost breakdown · all 99 majors · overview
Related majors at WMU
- Health Administration$54,265
- Public Health—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$48,065
- Health Sciences—
WMU Nursing questions
How much do WMU Nursing graduates earn?
Nursing graduates of Western Michigan University earn a median $83,449 four years after graduating and $75,149 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.
How much debt do WMU Nursing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of Western Michigan University is $28,850, about 35% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is WMU a good school for Nursing in Michigan?
On pay, Nursing graduates of Western Michigan University earn $83,449 four years out, $1,944 above the median for the same major across 23 Michigan colleges ($81,505) and $1,763 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does WMU rank for Nursing in Michigan?
Of 23 Michigan colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, Western Michigan University ranks 6th. The highest is Spring Arbor University at $91,869.
What jobs do Nursing graduates get?
A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $88,200 in the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 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: “Western Michigan University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-michigan-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).