ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Blue Mountain Community College

OR · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Blue Mountain Community College earn a median salary of $86,717 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $75,868. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.7 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

$71,633

Typical Career

$86,717

Top Performers

$102,628

Estimated break-even: 3.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$578

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,226. Most students can comfortably afford about a $578 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 29.2%
Educational Services 9.8%
Public Administration 9.4%

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

$75,868

Nominal: $86,717 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% 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).

3.7 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 $66,251 $78,081 $88,803
5 Years After Graduation $71,633 $86,717 $102,628
10 Years After Graduation $79,787 $95,189 $122,551

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 $86,717 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $86,717 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $75,868 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Blue Mountain Community College's nursing programs can expect a solid earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $78,081 one year after graduation, increasing to $86,717 after five years and reaching $95,189 after ten years. However, considering the cost of living in Oregon, which has a COL index of 1.143 compared to the national average of 1.0, the purchasing-power-adjusted five-year salary is approximately $75,867.89, indicating that while earnings grow, the cost of living may impact overall financial well-being.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 42.2% and 29.2% of employment, followed by Manufacturing at 12.9%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 3.7 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing a nursing career. Overall, the combination of strong earnings potential and industry demand supports a positive outlook for students considering Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, or Nursing Research.

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See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Blue Mountain Community College 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.