Bachelor's · Columbia, South Carolina

Is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at University of South Carolina-Columbia worth it?

High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 2.5 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating: $85,520; Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating: $86,755; Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation: $22,500; NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families: $94k (likely $94k – $96k); AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4: $50k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in SC; 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback: 2.5 years (likely 2.2–2.8); Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return: $232k (likely $178k – $275k); Today's dollars
20-year net return: $725k (likely $633k – $810k); Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide): 79%; Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in: not reported / ≤ 5%; NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20

Change income, residency or loans Compare Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at other schools

🩺 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward health & medicine majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Psychology
AP Statistics

IB Higher Level

Biology HL
Chemistry HL

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at other schools in South Carolina

South University-Columbia$91,363
Claflin University$83,436
Coastal Carolina University$82,887
University of South Carolina-Upstate$79,947
Medical University of South Carolina$78,576
University of South Carolina Aiken$78,231
Anderson University$76,147
Lander University$75,458
Charleston Southern University$75,175
Clemson University$74,491