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Health Professions · Nursing Rank #825 of 990

Nursingat Duke University

Graduates earn $77,288/yr in their first year — about 3.0% above the national Nursing average. Base-case 10-year earnings $784K; scenarios range from $692K to $787K depending on AI disruption.

Durham, NC Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
68 SOLID
68
Optimistic
65
Pessimistic
Earnings
$77,288
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.1x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$784K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
43% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Duke University

Your Duke nursing degree opens doors far beyond standard clinical roles. The university's elite reputation and location within the bustling Research Triangle Park, a hub for healthcare innovation, translate directly into elevated career prospects. You'll benefit from unparalleled clinical rotations and networking opportunities within the expansive Duke Health System and other top-tier medical facilities, naturally leading to higher earning potential in specialized areas. This environment actively encourages advanced practice and leadership, evidenced by the strong pathways into nurse anesthetist or practitioner roles. While some administrative or data-driven aspects of nursing face AI augmentation, your Duke education prepares you to lead in integrating these technologies. To maximize your investment, actively seek out advanced certifications and pursue master's-level specializations early in your career.

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
$692K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score65/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$784K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple3.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$787K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score68/100
Earnings Multiple3.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Duke University'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 Duke University 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
Also at Duke University

Other top programs at Duke University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Duke University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

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 Duke University

How does Duke University's Nursing program score?

A score of 68/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Duke University 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.