ROI Major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research at Temple College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.38

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research degree from Temple College earn a median salary of $85,718 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $93,071. 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

$69,808

Typical Career

$85,718

Top Performers

$101,267

Estimated break-even: 3.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$571

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $7,143. Most students can comfortably afford about a $571 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 Texas 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

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.0%
Educational Services 12.8%
Retail Trade 6.7%

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

$93,071

Nominal: $85,718 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

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 $65,174 $77,374 $88,945
5 Years After Graduation $69,808 $85,718 $101,267
10 Years After Graduation $73,127 $91,559 $110,315

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 $85,718 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $85,718 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $93,071 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, and Nursing Research at Temple College shows a steady increase over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $77,374, rising to $85,718 after five years and reaching $91,559 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $93,070.58, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to the broader job market.

Graduates predominantly enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 66.0% employed in this field one year post-graduation, and a consistent presence in the industry over the following years (56.2% and 42.0% respectively). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 3.7 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing these nursing careers. Overall, the data indicates a strong potential for career advancement and financial stability within the nursing profession.

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