Average Nursing Student Debt: How Much Debt Do Nurses Have?

The average nursing student debt depends on the type of program you attend:

• Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN): $23,302 average debt.

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN): $28,917 average debt.

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN): $49,047 average debt.

These average debt levels and payment amounts are based on an analysis of federal student aid data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard. The debt data is current as of May 2024.

» MORE: Student loan debt statistics

Here’s what monthly payments would look like for registered nurses with an ADN, BSN or MSN degree. This is assuming a 6.53% rate for federal Direct Loans for undergraduates and a 8.08% rate for Direct Unsubsidized Loans for graduate and professional students along with a standard 10-year repayment term:

Monthly Payment by Nursing Degree

What is the average nursing student debt?

Almost 70% of students use nursing student loans to help pay for their education, based on the most recent data from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The average you’ll owe post-graduation will be a byproduct of how many years you spend in school.

You can become a registered nurse by earning a two-year ADN or a four-year BSN degree. Shorter programs can result in less student debt on average, but ADNs can still end up with large balances: an analysis of federal data revealed that small numbers of ADN and BSN RNs have average student loan balances over $40,000 and $50,000, respectively.

» MORE: How many Americans have student loan debt?

While the most recent data shows that average MSN student loans are a little less than $50,000, they can come away with a heftier student loan bill, especially if they attend a top-tier institution. For example, students in Duke University’s MSN program finish school with an average debt of $84,309. At Johns Hopkins University, average MSN debt is $97,548.

» MORE: How to get a health professions student loan

How to pay off nursing school debt

Depending on your salary as a nurse, you may be stuck with your debt for a long time. A 2019 survey by medical industry website Medscape found that 20% of nurses older than 55 still have student loans. These tips can help you pay off school debt:

• Investigate forgiveness programs. Multiple nursing school debt forgiveness programs are available that can eliminate part or all of your remaining nursing school debt. To be eligible for most of these programs, you’ll need to work for a public service employer, in a critical shortage area or both.

» MORE: What are the odds I’ll get student loan forgiveness?

• Find the right repayment plan. There are multiple student loan repayment options. The standard plan — 120 payments over 10 years — is best if you can afford your loan payments. If your debt is stretching you a little too thin, an income-driven plan can offer a more manageable monthly bill.

• Pay loans off faster. If you’re comfortable with the standard plan, consider making extra payments to get rid of your nursing school debt faster. You could even refinance with a private lender — especially if you have higher interest graduate school loans — provided you don’t need income-driven plans and won’t qualify for forgiveness.

If you’re still in the planning stages of your education, be sure to review scholarships for nurses. You won’t have to repay this money, and it will decrease the amount you have to borrow.

Average Student Loan Amounts by Debt Type