1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Southern Nazarene University](/school/southern-nazarene-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Southern Nazarene University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/southern-nazarene-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/southern-nazarene-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/southern-nazarene-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/southern-nazarene-university/majors/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Southern Nazarene University graduates earn? The reported median is $60,691 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $55,915 as its benchmark; the difference is $4,776 per year. The earnings scenarios range from $47,030 on the downside to $79,204 on the upside, with $60,691 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn $80,005 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services follows at $78,093, with 57 degrees awarded. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, reports $71,133. An estimated 22.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $60,691 **Rank for difference from expectations** 72nd percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Southern Nazarene University reported median** $60,691 **Peer schools comparable schools · $4,776 below Southern Nazarene University** $55,915 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $5,504 below Southern Nazarene University** $55,187 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $47,030 to $79,204, around the reported median of $60,691. Compare the lower scenario with [Southern Nazarene University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/southern-nazarene-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $47,030 **Median · reported** $60,691 **Higher estimate** $79,204 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Southern Nazarene University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Southern Nazarene University graduates’ reported earnings are $5,504 above that expectation, the 72nd percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Southern Nazarene University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,743 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$1,761 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$5,504 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Southern Nazarene University report the highest earnings? Nursing reports the highest median earnings among the largest programs with published earnings at Southern Nazarene University, at $80,005 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services follows at $78,093, with 57 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management, the largest program at 91 degrees awarded, posts a median of $71,133. That figure sits below the two highest earners. At the more moderate end, Human Development and Family Studies records $47,976 from 32 degrees awarded. The spread between the highest- and lowest-earning large programs is wide. Business accounts for 44.2% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Health Professions second at 14.5%. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 91 degrees a year, and its completers earn a median of $71,133 four years after completion. Nursing is the highest-earning program, at $80,005, from 32 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services follows at $78,093, with 57 degrees awarded. The spread between the best-paid and the lowest-earning programs is wide. Kinesiology and Physical Education completers earn a median of $44,821 four years after completion, from 22 degrees awarded. Human Development and Family Studies completers earn a median of $47,976 four years after completion, from 32 degrees awarded. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $80,005 **Human Resources Management and Services** $78,093 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $71,133 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas** $50,918 **Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services** $47,976 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods** $45,934 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness** $44,821 [Explore Southern Nazarene University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/southern-nazarene-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from a downside of $47,030 to a typical outcome of $60,691 and an upside of $79,204. These are estimates, not observed groups. The spread reflects the variation by field: Nursing graduates earn $80,005 four years out, while Kinesiology and Physical Education, the lowest-earning among the largest programs with published earnings, stands at $44,821. Graduates of Southern Nazarene University earn a median of $60,691 four years after completing a degree, measured among 548 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That is $4,776 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That median lands at the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,504 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios are estimated from the program mix, not observed outcomes. The downside earnings scenario is $47,030, the typical scenario is $60,691, and the upside scenario is $79,204. An estimated 22.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median exceeds both the comparable-institution median and the model's expectation. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).