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Is the prestige of University A worth $80K+ in loans compared to a debt-free degree from University B for my specific career field?

I've been accepted to Temple University which has a renowned nursing program but would leave me w/ $80k in loans, and Montclair University, which would leave me almost debt-free but has a less prestigious program.

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Michelle’s Answer

I agree with Alex, as long as Montclair is an accredited nursing program with similar program outcomes I would go with the one that will leave you as debt free as possible. As a hiring manager I did not give more priority to a new hire from a more prestigious university. I also would encourage you to either get your BSN right away or know that you will need to get it within the next few years after graduation if you attend an ADN program, as many hospitals require a BSN within a certain number of years after hire. Congratulations on your career decision, nursing is a great field with lots of opportunities!
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Alex’s Answer

If you can get your nursing degree and come out debt free I would highly recommend going that route. The prestige of the school is not worth getting yourself into debt for. As long as you feel good about Montclair University and they have proven to be a good nursing program then I would go with them in a heartbeat if it means I save 80k worth of debt. Being debt free will set you up so much in the long run.
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Christine’s Answer

Just has others have mentioned if your program is accredited that is the biggest thing. I've been a manager for a good bit of my 20+ years in nursing/healthcare and I've hired a good number of nurses in my roles. I will be honest from my point of view, I could care less if you got your degree at Yale or if you went to X State University. My biggest things are, 1. does this person have a license, 2. do they have a genuine in the role I am looking to fill, and 3. would they be a good collaborator with the other members of the team. Now keep in mind I'm not trying to knock the Ivy's or those who have gotten nursing degrees from major universities, I've worked with several nurses who either were in higher level roles at well known and prestigious universities as well as hired some nurses who received a degree from an Ivy league school. I think the good thing about nursing perhaps compared to other professions you will find more of a level playing field, in where you went to school isn't as big of a deal, its more of did you graduate and did you get your credentials. If I were in your shoes, I'd try and leave school with the least amount of debt you can. And who knows you might be able to get funding to continue graduate studies at Prestigious University later down the road.
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