ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Moberly Area Community College

MO · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Moberly Area Community College earn a median salary of $65,986 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $73,975. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.2 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

$53,317

Typical Career

$65,986

Top Performers

$77,971

Estimated break-even: 6.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$440

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,499. Most students can comfortably afford about a $440 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Missouri buys what costs $0.89 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

Health Care & Social Assistance 23.3%
Educational Services 15.4%
Retail Trade 10.0%

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

$73,975

Nominal: $65,986 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

6.2 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 $50,767 $59,234 $69,192
5 Years After Graduation $53,317 $65,986 $77,971
10 Years After Graduation $61,332 $76,267 $98,320

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 $65,986 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $65,986 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $73,975 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from Moberly Area Community College's nursing programs can expect a favorable earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $59,234, which increases to $65,986 after five years and reaches $76,267 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $73,975.34, reflecting a solid financial outlook for those entering the nursing field in Missouri, where the cost of living index is lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates predominantly lie within Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 40.2% of employment, followed by another 23.3% in the same sector and 15.9% in Public Administration. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 6.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, pursuing a career in nursing offers a compelling return on investment. This data suggests that students can expect not only stable employment but also a significant increase in earnings relative to their educational investment.

Compare with Another School

See how the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree at Moberly Area 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.