UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 69 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$80,951 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$80,951Median year-4 earnings
$17,251Average institution net-price context
$24,750Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$80,951Typical earnings four years after completion
$72,679Average earnings five years after completion
$24,750Typical federal student debt
90thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
4,089Degrees awarded in 2024–25
63College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 48 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
How much do Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $80,951 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $24,750. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $71,243 to $95,875 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 6 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $80,951
- Federal debt
- $24,750
- Programs in the comparison
- 69
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $79,954
- Federal debt
- $20,838
- Programs in the comparison
- 1,032
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $86,259
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 1,053
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $142,075
- Federal debt
- $24,159
- Programs in the comparison
- 6
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $120,338
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 447
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $135,560
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 127
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $135,340
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 31
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $128,518
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 38
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $109,913
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$71,243National median$80,95175th percentile$95,875
63 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
University of Pennsylvania
$169,879 four years after completionPhiladelphia, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtLone Star College System
$8,875 among completer borrowersThe Woodlands, TX · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUnitek College
413 reported awards in 2024–25Fremont, CA · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$133,763Observed year-4 earnings$82,164
University of Pennsylvania$28,699 price · $169,879 earningsUnitek College$25,179 price · $157,427 earningsGavilan College$6,542 price · $133,763 earningsCabrillo College$15,843 price · $122,830 earningsDelaware County Community College$6,576 price · $115,091 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College$24,558 price · $108,264 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton$17,910 price · $108,264 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly$14,596 price · $108,264 earningsPennsylvania State University-Main Campus$32,875 price · $108,264 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto$19,454 price · $108,264 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington$18,071 price · $108,264 earningsPennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill$19,659 price · $108,264 earningsPennsylvania State University-World Campus$19,550 price · $108,264 earningsGlendale Career College$49,195 price · $107,049 earningsOhio Medical Career College$16,456 price · $102,577 earningsReading Hospital School of Health Sciences$28,415 price · $91,434 earningsBunker Hill Community College$7,818 price · $88,075 earningsOhio Institute of Allied Health$47,034 price · $86,401 earningsGeisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine$23,384 price · $84,739 earningsLone Star College System$11,252 price · $83,636 earningsWestern Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing$25,163 price · $83,076 earningsAthena Career Academy$22,886 price · $82,495 earningsArnot Ogden Medical Center$20,068 price · $82,164 earningsUPMC Mercy School of Nursing$33,159 price · $80,951 earnings
$6,576Annual college-wide average net price$33,159
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Pennsylvania$169,8792Unitek College$157,4273Gavilan College$133,7634Cabrillo College$122,8305Delaware County Community College$115,0916Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College$108,2647Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton$108,2648Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly$108,2649Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$108,26410Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto$108,264Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →43%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$80,250 median wage77,960 jobs nationwide+17.1% projected growth through 2035 · 8,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$48,800–$129,500 typical wage rangeRegistered Nurses$97,550 median wage3,379,720 jobs nationwide+5.6% projected growth through 2035 · 180,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$68,940–$137,470 typical wage rangeNurse Practitioners$132,300 median wage323,040 jobs nationwide+41.0% projected growth through 2035 · 29,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$101,340–$174,420 typical wage rangeMedical and Health Services Managers$123,860 median wage597,080 jobs nationwide+24.2% projected growth through 2035 · 62,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$73,390–$224,340 typical wage rangeNurse Anesthetists$236,590 median wage51,840 jobs nationwide+9.7% projected growth through 2035 · 2,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$155,250–$339,500 typical wage rangeNurse Midwives$134,040 median wage7,920 jobs nationwide+11.5% projected growth through 2035 · 400 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$93,620–$188,320 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.