ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Northern Wyoming Community College District

WY · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Northern Wyoming Community College District earn a median salary of $75,247 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $80,824. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.9 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

$58,609

Typical Career

$75,247

Top Performers

$85,588

Estimated break-even: 4.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$502

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,271. Most students can comfortably afford about a $502 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 38.1%
Educational Services 9.0%
Retail Trade 6.9%

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

$80,824

Nominal: $75,247 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% 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).

4.9 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 $57,398 $65,876 $76,512
5 Years After Graduation $58,609 $75,247 $85,588
10 Years After Graduation $66,638 $81,275 $97,655

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 $75,247 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $75,247 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310) = $80,824 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research programs at Northern Wyoming Community College District can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $65,876, which increases to $75,247 after five years, and reaches $81,275 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $80,823.85, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite the cost of living index in Wyoming being slightly lower than the national average.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 40.3% and 38.1% of placements, along with Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction at 13.7%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 4.9 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing these nursing pathways. Overall, the career prospects and financial benefits indicate a positive outlook for students considering these fields.

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See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Northern Wyoming Community College District 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.