ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Binghamton University

NY · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.38

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Binghamton University earn a median salary of $95,930 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $72,674. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.2 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

$72,106

Typical Career

$95,930

Top Performers

$122,953

Estimated break-even: 3.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$640

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,994. Most students can comfortably afford about a $640 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.5x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in New York buys what costs $1.32 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 20.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 19.8%
Educational Services 12.4%

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

$72,674

Nominal: $95,930 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% 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).

3.2 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 $70,457 $84,175 $103,989
5 Years After Graduation $72,106 $95,930 $122,953
10 Years After Graduation $83,797 $113,729 $144,808

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 $95,930 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $95,930 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $72,674 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research from Binghamton University is promising. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $84,175, increasing to $95,930 after five years and reaching $113,729 after ten years. However, it's important to consider the purchasing power; the purchasing-power-adjusted salary after five years is approximately $72,674.24, reflecting the higher cost of living in New York, where the cost of living index is 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector (20.8%), followed by Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (19.8%) and Educational Services (12.4%). The estimated break-even point for these graduates compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 3.2 years, indicating a relatively favorable return on investment. Overall, pursuing a nursing career at Binghamton University appears to offer a solid financial outlook and diverse employment opportunities in growing industries.

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 Binghamton University 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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