# Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

> Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing is a field of study in the Health Professions and Related Programs area.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/registered-nursing-nursing-administration-nursing-research-and-clinical-nursing
- CIP code: 51.38 (Health Professions and Related Programs)
- Colleges offering it: 1,111 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/nursing

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 155 | $79,446 | $72,129 | $14,299 |
| Associate's | 1,072 | $74,427 | $79,942 | $14,887 |
| Bachelor's | 1,111 | $80,628 | $86,019 | $21,934 |
| Master's | 633 | $107,631 | $120,338 | $45,457 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 53 | $122,097 | $125,786 | $19,625 |
| Doctoral | 361 | $133,687 | $135,401 | $73,618 |
| First professional | 325 | $117,090 | $133,644 | $87,900 |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 411 | $125,648 | $132,257 | $34,167 |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [California State University-East Bay](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-east-bay-368) | Hayward, CA | $150,921 | $18,751 |
| [San Francisco State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/san-francisco-state-university-2349) | San Francisco, CA | $150,102 | $13,331 |
| [Dominican University of California](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dominican-university-of-california-828) | San Rafael, CA | $149,622 | $26,243 |
| [Sonoma State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/sonoma-state-university-2438) | Rohnert Park, CA | $143,886 | $12,500 |
| [University of San Francisco](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-san-francisco-usf-3034) | San Francisco, CA | $143,356 | $25,000 |
| [Pacific Union College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-union-college-2063) | Angwin, CA | $140,542 | $29,584 |
| [California State University-Monterey Bay](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-monterey-bay-373) | Seaside, CA | $134,489 | $6,375 |
| [Pacific College-California](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pacific-college-california-2055) | Costa Mesa, CA | $132,148 | $32,611 |
| [Bushnell University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bushnell-university-335) | Eugene, OR | $131,400 | $20,000 |
| [California State University-Sacramento](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-sacramento-375) | Sacramento, CA | $129,960 | $11,000 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Nurse Anesthetists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-anesthetists): $236,590 median pay
- [Nurse Midwives](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-midwives): $134,040 median pay
- [Nurse Practitioners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-practitioners): $132,300 median pay
- [Medical and Health Services Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/medical-and-health-services-managers): $123,860 median pay
- [Acute Care Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/acute-care-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/advanced-practice-psychiatric-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Clinical Nurse Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-nurse-specialists): $97,550 median pay
- [Critical Care Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/critical-care-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Registered Nurses](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/registered-nurses): $97,550 median pay
- [Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nursing-instructors-and-teachers-postsecondary): $80,250 median pay

## More in Health Professions and Related Programs

- [Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/allied-health-diagnostic-intervention-and-treatment-professions): 930 colleges
- [Health and Medical Administrative Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/health-and-medical-administrative-services): 890 colleges
- [Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/practical-nursing-vocational-nursing-and-nursing-assistants): 864 colleges
- [Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/allied-health-and-medical-assisting-services): 796 colleges
- [Public Health](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/public-health): 540 colleges
- [Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/health-services-allied-health-health-sciences-general): 461 colleges
- [Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/mental-and-social-health-services-and-allied-professions): 424 colleges
- [Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/clinical-medical-laboratory-science-research-and-allied-professions): 398 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/