Nursingat University of California-Los Angeles
Graduates earn $94,611/yr in their first year — about 26.0% above the national Nursing average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,193K; scenarios range from $993K to $1,199K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UCLA
Graduating from UCLA's nursing program places you directly into one of the nation's most dynamic and competitive healthcare markets. Your strong earning potential reflects the intense demand for highly skilled nurses in a region with a high cost of living, where leading institutions like UCLA Health, Cedars-Sinai, and Kaiser Permanente compete for top talent. The program's rigorous clinical placements, often within the extensive UCLA Health system, create direct pipelines to advanced practice roles that require sophisticated judgment. While AI will undoubtedly streamline administrative and diagnostic support tasks, the core human elements of patient advocacy, critical thinking in complex situations, and compassionate care remain indispensable. Focus on gaining specialized experience early and pursuing opportunities for advanced certifications or graduate studies to future-proof your career.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to UCLA's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Nursing
How UCLA stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UCLA
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UCLA, 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 →Frequently asked about Nursing at UCLA
How does University of California-Los Angeles's Nursing program score?
A score of 90/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. University of California-Los Angeles's Nursing graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
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.
Why does University of California-Los Angeles rank so high for Nursing?
The #29 ranking out of 990 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.