ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at University of Massachusetts at Boston

MA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.38

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from University of Massachusetts at Boston earn a median salary of $99,939 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $67,435. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.4 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$78,190

Typical Career

$99,939

Top Performers

$123,723

Estimated break-even: 3.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$666

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $8,328. Most students can comfortably afford about a $666 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.3x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Massachusetts buys what costs $1.48 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 34.3%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 11.5%
Educational Services 10.7%

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

$67,435

Nominal: $99,939 in Massachusetts (COL 148.2% of national avg) · 32.5% lower 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).

3.4 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 $59,382 $78,153 $100,199
5 Years After Graduation $78,190 $99,939 $123,723
10 Years After Graduation $87,113 $117,434 $144,099

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 $99,939 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MA, which has a cost-of-living index of 148.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $99,939 × (1.0 ÷ 1.4820) = $67,435 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 the University of Massachusetts at Boston experience a strong earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $78,153, which increases to $99,939 five years post-graduation and reaches $117,434 after ten years. However, considering the cost of living in Massachusetts, where the cost-of-living index is 1.482 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is estimated at $67,435.22, indicating that while earnings are substantial, they may not stretch as far in a high-cost state.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance (34.3%), Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (11.5%), and Educational Services (10.7%). This distribution suggests a strong alignment with sectors that are both stable and growing. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 3.4 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a nursing degree at UMass Boston appears favorable, particularly in light of the robust job market in health-related fields.

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 University of Massachusetts at Boston 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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