ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Newberry College

SC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.38

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Newberry College earn a median salary of $71,778 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $75,397. The degree typically pays for itself in 5 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$60,342

Typical Career

$71,778

Top Performers

$85,195

Estimated break-even: 5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$479

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,982. Most students can comfortably afford about a $479 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 23.3%
Health Care & Social Assistance 11.6%
Public Administration 8.5%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$75,397

Nominal: $71,778 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% 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 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 $58,988 $67,967 $78,881
5 Years After Graduation $60,342 $71,778 $85,195
10 Years After Graduation $65,590 $86,717 $110,004

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 $71,778 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $71,778 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $75,397 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Newberry College's nursing programs can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $67,967, which increases to $71,778 after five years and reaches $86,717 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $75,397.06, indicating that the earnings potential remains competitive even when considering cost-of-living differences, particularly in South Carolina, where the cost-of-living index is lower than the national average.

In terms of career opportunities, graduates predominantly enter fields such as Educational Services (23.3%), Health Care & Social Assistance (11.6%), and Public Administration (8.5%). The estimated break-even point for those pursuing a nursing degree versus a high-school-only path is around five years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for students. Overall, the combination of strong earnings potential and diverse industry entry points positions a nursing career as a viable and rewarding option for graduates.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

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

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.

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