Nursing: every university, ranked by pay
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Duke University
Bachelor's degree · Durham, North Carolina · 430 graduates in two years
What do Duke registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing graduates earn?
Median yearly pay of graduates who had federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Hidden where too few graduates to publish.
What does it take to get into Duke?
Admission is to the university, not the program, at most US schools.
How much does Duke cost?
Sticker price for a year, and what students actually paid after grants.
The cost by family income, debt and who finishes are on Duke's page.
What careers does Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing lead to?
Careers people reach through this field, each with its pay, training and what the work is like.
- Registered NurseAbout 3.5 million people work as registered nurses in the country. Two years of college can get you licensed, and the license works in most states.$98kTypical pay2 to 4 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand
- Nurse PractitionerA nurse with a graduate degree who can diagnose, order tests and prescribe. Six years of school, a six figure median, and much faster than average projected growth.$132kTypical pay6 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
- MidwifeLook after people through pregnancy, birth and the year after, and provide their everyday reproductive health care too.$134kTypical pay6 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
- AcupuncturistTreat pain and illness with needles at specific points on the body. A master's degree, a state license, and usually your own practice.$76kTypical pay5 to 8 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
- Addiction CounselorSit with people at the worst point of their lives and help them get out. You can start this one without a degree.$59kTypical pay1 to 6 yearsTo qualifyVery highDemand
- Allergist and ImmunologistThirteen years of training for one of the calmest schedules in medicine.$266kTypical pay13 to 14 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at other universities
The same program elsewhere, North Carolina first, then the best paid.
| University | Pay, five years out | Debt | Acceptance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of North Carolina at CharlotteNorth Carolina | $87,377 | $18,563 | 80% |
| North Carolina A&T State UniversityNorth Carolina | $86,651 | $18,373 | 50% |
| The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina | $85,519 | $17,275 | 15% |
| Appalachian State UniversityNorth Carolina | $81,089 | $12,500 | 90% |
| East Carolina UniversityNorth Carolina | $79,945 | $19,625 | 89% |
| San José State UniversityCalifornia | $157,894 | $14,725 | 85% |
| Hunter CollegeNew York | $120,463 | $15,875 | 54% |
| University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaHawaii | $119,869 | $16,943 | 87% |
| San Diego State UniversityCalifornia | $119,646 | $15,000 | 36% |
| California State University, FullertonCalifornia | $117,513 | $12,500 | 91% |
| California State University, Long BeachCalifornia | $116,568 | $13,000 | 46% |
| New York UniversityNew York | $116,391 | $17,750 | 9% |
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Pay is the median for graduates who received federal aid, measured one and five years after finishing; debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with Duke University. Figures describe past students.