Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Elgin Community College
IL · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Elgin Community College earn a median salary of $79,834 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $86,965. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.6 years.
Quick Insights
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
$61,290
Typical Career
$79,834
Top Performers
$92,587
Estimated break-even: 4.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$532
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,653. Most students can comfortably afford about a $532 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Illinois buys what costs $0.92 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Retail Trade.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$86,965
Nominal: $79,834 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% higher 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).
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 | $52,680 | $66,419 | $78,828 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $61,290 | $79,834 | $92,587 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $72,195 | $92,717 | $113,545 |
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 $79,834 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $79,834 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180)
= $86,965 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 53.1% of them working in this industry, followed by 27.5% and 20.0% in similar roles. This concentration indicates a strong alignment between the program and job market demand. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 4.6 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a nursing career at Elgin Community College appears favorable, offering both financial stability and career growth in a vital sector.
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See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Elgin 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.