ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Louisiana State University at Alexandria

LA · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Louisiana State University at Alexandria earn a median salary of $75,852 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in LA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $82,180. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.6 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

$63,442

Typical Career

$75,852

Top Performers

$91,746

Estimated break-even: 4.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$506

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,321. Most students can comfortably afford about a $506 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Louisiana buys what costs $0.92 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 68.6%
Educational Services 7.0%
Public Administration 3.8%

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

$82,180

Nominal: $75,852 in Louisiana (COL 92.3% of national avg) · 8.3% 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).

4.6 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 $59,598 $70,112 $81,879
5 Years After Graduation $63,442 $75,852 $91,746
10 Years After Graduation $66,669 $80,701 $98,415

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 $75,852 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in LA, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $75,852 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9230) = $82,180 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research programs at Louisiana State University at Alexandria can expect a favorable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $70,112, which increases to $75,852 five years post-graduation and reaches $80,701 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to approximately $82,179.85 on a national scale, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earning potential relative to national standards despite the lower cost of living in Louisiana.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 68.6% of employment, followed by Educational Services at 28.9%. This concentration in health-related fields suggests a robust demand for nursing professionals, enhancing job security and career opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 4.6 years, indicating a solid return on investment for students pursuing these nursing programs, given the potential for higher earnings and job stability in the healthcare sector.

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See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Louisiana State University at Alexandria 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.