ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Minneapolis Community and Technical College

MN · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Minneapolis Community and Technical College earn a median salary of $83,287 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $88,509. 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

$67,388

Typical Career

$83,287

Top Performers

$98,773

Estimated break-even: 4.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$555

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,941. Most students can comfortably afford about a $555 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 31.6%
Public Administration 8.8%
Retail Trade 7.3%

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

$88,509

Nominal: $83,287 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% 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 $47,458 $63,177 $77,059
5 Years After Graduation $67,388 $83,287 $98,773
10 Years After Graduation $73,252 $94,620 $116,643

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 $83,287 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $83,287 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $88,509 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 Minneapolis Community and Technical College can expect a promising earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $63,177.00, which increases to $83,287.00 after five years and reaches $94,620.00 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $88,509.03, reflecting a favorable financial outlook despite the cost of living index in Minnesota being slightly lower than the national average.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with 57.2% in the first year, 31.6% after five years, and 27.8% after ten years. This concentration in a stable industry suggests a strong return on investment (ROI) for students, particularly considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 4.6 years compared to a high-school-only path. Overall, pursuing a career in nursing through this program appears to offer both financial stability and growth potential in a vital sector.

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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.