ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Lane 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 Lane Community College earn a median salary of $86,367 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $75,562. 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

$68,626

Typical Career

$86,367

Top Performers

$103,556

Estimated break-even: 3.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$576

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,197. Most students can comfortably afford about a $576 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, Retail Trade, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.2%
Retail Trade 8.2%
Educational Services 7.4%

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

$75,562

Nominal: $86,367 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 $63,647 $76,898 $89,360
5 Years After Graduation $68,626 $86,367 $103,556
10 Years After Graduation $77,430 $98,215 $118,602

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 $86,367 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)
= $86,367 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430) = $75,562 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Lane Community College's nursing programs can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $76,898, increasing to $86,367 five years later and reaching $98,215 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $75,561.68, indicating that while Oregon's cost of living is higher (COL index of 1.143), the earnings potential remains competitive over time.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 45.9% employed in this field one year after graduation. This trend continues with 31.2% and 28.8% remaining in similar roles five and ten years later, respectively. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 3.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a nursing career at Lane Community College appears favorable, particularly in a growing industry with consistent demand for skilled professionals.

Compare with Another School

See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Lane 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.