ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at BridgeValley Community and Technical College

WV · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from BridgeValley Community and Technical College earn a median salary of $70,982 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WV, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $79,576. The degree typically pays for itself in 5.4 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$57,605

Typical Career

$70,982

Top Performers

$82,509

Estimated break-even: 5.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$473

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,915. Most students can comfortably afford about a $473 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in West Virginia buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 44.9%
Public Administration 7.6%
Retail Trade 5.9%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$79,576

Nominal: $70,982 in West Virginia (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

5.4 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $54,874 $62,871 $71,834
5 Years After Graduation $57,605 $70,982 $82,509
10 Years After Graduation $64,818 $81,339 $97,592

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $70,982 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WV, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $70,982 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $79,576 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates from BridgeValley Community and Technical College in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research shows a positive upward trend. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $62,871.00, increasing to $70,982.00 after five years and reaching $81,339.00 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $79,576.23, indicating that graduates can expect competitive earnings relative to national standards, despite the lower cost of living in West Virginia.

Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, which account for 44.9% and 41.5% of employment, alongside a smaller percentage in Public Administration at 9.2%. The estimated break-even point for this educational path versus a high-school-only route is approximately 5.4 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing these nursing programs. Overall, the career prospects and financial benefits appear strong for students considering these fields at BridgeValley Community and Technical College.

Compare with Another School

See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at BridgeValley Community and Technical College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.