DOCTORAL DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a doctoral degree in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 127 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$135,560 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.
$135,560Median year-4 earnings
$20,318Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$135,560Typical earnings four years after completion
$142,827Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
81thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
7,302Degrees awarded in 2024–25
127College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 125 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 doctoral degree graduates earn?
The national median is $135,560 four years after completion across reportable doctoral degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $126,439 to $159,655 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.
OPEN PROFILE
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$126,439National median$135,56075th percentile$159,655
127 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.
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.
$228,735Observed year-4 earnings$161,430
Millikin University$21,989 price · $324,655 earningsMarshall University$7,502 price · $235,983 earningsFranciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University$18,552 price · $228,735 earningsBryan College of Health Sciences$26,919 price · $222,935 earningsMissouri State University-Springfield$17,613 price · $218,334 earningsCalifornia State University, Fresno$7,000 price · $207,668 earningsVirginia Commonwealth University$23,433 price · $206,527 earningsUniversity of San Francisco$41,431 price · $201,545 earningsTexas Christian University$36,660 price · $200,329 earningsUniversity of Cincinnati-Main Campus$25,648 price · $199,296 earningsUniversity of Southern Mississippi$21,708 price · $191,713 earningsMurray State University$9,096 price · $189,508 earningsDePaul University$30,902 price · $187,364 earningsUnion University$27,171 price · $182,606 earningsCalifornia State University, Fullerton$6,555 price · $181,807 earningsUniversity of San Diego$30,365 price · $178,950 earningsUniversity of Pennsylvania$28,699 price · $176,358 earningsUniversity of Miami$37,244 price · $174,255 earningsColumbia University in the City of New York$21,590 price · $164,885 earningsFairfield University$48,095 price · $163,093 earningsDuke University$29,612 price · $161,843 earningsUniversity of Nevada-Reno$15,927 price · $161,545 earningsRutgers University-Camden$18,745 price · $161,430 earningsRutgers University-New Brunswick$24,406 price · $161,430 earnings
$7,000Annual college-wide average net price$37,244
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.
1Millikin University$324,6552Marshall University$235,9833Midwestern University-Downers Grove$230,0754Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University$228,7355Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science$224,8046Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science$224,2917Bryan College of Health Sciences$222,9358Missouri State University-Springfield$218,3349California State University, Fresno$207,66810Virginia Commonwealth University$206,527Observed 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.