ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Connecticut State Community College

CT · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Connecticut State Community College earn a median salary of $90,608 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $78,585. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.5 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

$72,427

Typical Career

$90,608

Top Performers

$108,356

Estimated break-even: 3.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$604

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,551. Most students can comfortably afford about a $604 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.2x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 53.3%
Educational Services 8.9%
Finance & Insurance 6.8%

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

$78,585

Nominal: $90,608 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% 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).

3.5 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 $64,950 $79,169 $92,798
5 Years After Graduation $72,427 $90,608 $108,356
10 Years After Graduation $81,029 $101,448 $122,888

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 $90,608 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $90,608 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $78,585 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Connecticut State Community College's nursing programs can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $79,169, increasing to $90,608 after five years and reaching $101,448 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $78,584.56, indicating that while the cost of living in Connecticut is higher (COL index of 1.153), the earnings potential remains strong over time.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 53.3% employed in this field one year after graduation, and this percentage remains significant at 46.8% and 29.5% after five and ten years, respectively. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 3.5 years compared to a high-school-only path, pursuing a nursing career at Connecticut State Community College presents a favorable return on investment. The consistent demand for healthcare professionals further enhances the long-term viability of this career choice.

Compare with Another School

See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Connecticut State 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.