Home Schools Centra College Nursing
Health Professions · Nursing Rank #619 of 990

Nursingat Centra College

Graduates earn $80,832/yr in their first year — about 7.0% above the national Nursing average. Base-case 10-year earnings $867K; scenarios range from $752K to $870K depending on AI disruption.

Lynchburg, VA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
75 STRONG
75
Optimistic
72
Pessimistic
Earnings
$80,832
1-year post-graduation
ROI
15.5x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$867K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
43% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Centra College

At $80,832 per year, Nursing graduates from Centra College earn slightly above the $75,273 national median. The premium is real but not dramatic.

The 17.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 39% task exposure — and the 13% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The median debt load of $12,767 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

At #619 out of 990 programs, Centra College's financial outcomes for Nursing trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$752K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple15.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$867K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple17.7x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$870K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple17.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Centra College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Nursing graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Nurse anesthetists
+8.6% 10-yr growth · 2,700 openings/yr
$223,210/yr
Low
2
Nurse practitioners
+40.1% 10-yr growth · 29,500 openings/yr
$129,210/yr
Moderate
3
Nurse midwives
+11.1% 10-yr growth · 500 openings/yr
$128,790/yr
Moderate
4
Medical and health services managers
+23.2% 10-yr growth · 62,100 openings/yr
$117,960/yr
Moderate
5
Registered nurses
+4.9% 10-yr growth · 189,100 openings/yr
$93,600/yr
Moderate
6
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary
+16.8% 10-yr growth · 8,600 openings/yr
$79,940/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Nursing

How Centra College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Sonoma State University
CA · Public
91
DW Score
$126K
1-yr earn
39.1x
ROI
California State University-East Bay
CA · Public
91
DW Score
$124K
1-yr earn
56.0x
ROI
Samuel Merritt University
CA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$119K
1-yr earn
California State University-Stanislaus
CA · Public
91
DW Score
$119K
1-yr earn
38.2x
ROI
Pacific Union College
CA · Private nonprofit
82
DW Score
$119K
1-yr earn
8.9x
ROI

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Nursing offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Nursing trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Nursing at Centra College

How does Centra College's Nursing program score?

A score of 75/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Centra College trails the majority of Nursing programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Nursing to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Nursing careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 39% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.