Galen College of Nursing-Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 64/100 · Fair Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Galen College of Nursing-Louisville earns a 64/100 ROI score and a Fair Value tier - a notable result for a private-for-profit. The case is built on focus: this is a single-program institution, exclusively training registered nurses. Median earnings six years after entry are $43,200, climbing to $61,480 by year ten. Net price averages $18,540 against a $74,160 total four-year cost (note: tuition figures are not reported separately in current Scorecard data because Galen's program structure differs from a conventional 4-year college). The implied payback period is 8.1 years - meaningfully better than most for-profit peers. Median federal debt is $24,166, producing a 0.559 debt-to-earnings ratio. Earnings premium of 35.7% over a high-school graduate is solid. Completion is 61.5%, respectable. The one weak metric is repayment performance: only 46% of borrowers are making progress at three years, with seven-year repayment at 51% - a structural concern that may reflect the cohort entering income-driven repayment plans (common in healthcare) rather than active default. The honest read: for prospective RNs, Galen's focused vocational model delivers a credible economic outcome at a price-point well below what a four-year university nursing program typically costs.
Galen College of Nursing-Louisville
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | N/A/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | N/A/yr |
| Average net price | $18,540/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $74,160 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $61,480 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $43,200 |
| Median debt at graduation | $24,166 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $256 |
| Estimated payback period | 8.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 61.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 4,801 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: N/A/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $18,540/year, or roughly $74,160 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $18,116/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $23,490/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $24,166 in federal loans, which works out to about $256 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $61,480 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.56, within the range advisors call workable but worth keeping an eye on.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $18,116 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,186 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $18,381 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,056 |
| $110,001+ | $23,490 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $18,116 net price - the lowest bracket and only marginally below the school average. With $43,200 six-year median earnings, the math works for this cohort because nursing wages support repayment quickly. Pell-eligible students should layer in the $7,395 federal grant to bring effective cost down further.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $19,186 ($30K-$48K), $18,381 ($48K-$75K), and $21,056 ($75K-$110K). Note the slight inversion: the $30K-$48K bracket pays MORE than the $48K-$75K bracket, suggesting some quirk in aid stacking that lower-middle-income families should explicitly question with the financial aid office. Overall the curve is flat, but RN earnings make these prices defensible.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $23,490 - the highest tier, with no real institutional discounting. Over four years that's $93,960 net. Given 10-year median earnings of $61,480, the math still works for nursing students at this income level, though high-income families could accomplish the same outcome via a public BSN program at lower cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 1 most popular majors at Galen College of Nursing-Louisville with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | $91,862 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered nursing IS Galen's program. Graduates earn $76,234 one year out and $91,862 four years out - strong absolute earnings driven by the nursing labor market. Median federal debt is $45,775 (notably higher than the school-average debt because RN-track students typically borrow more for clinical-program costs), producing a 0.6 debt-to-earnings ratio and a C ROI grade. With 1,068 graduates per cohort, this is one of the highest-volume nursing programs in the country. The C grade reflects the substantial debt load relative to year-one earnings, but absolute earnings trajectory is strong and most graduates can manage repayment on RN salaries.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 40.8% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 46.1% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 48.1% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 50.9% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Galen College of Nursing-Louisville’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 4,801 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 24.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $6,905 |
Galen's admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with for-profit institutions that operate near-open admission for applicants who meet program prerequisites (typically a TEAS score, prior coursework, or clinical-track eligibility). SAT/ACT mid-ranges are also not reported because the school does not require traditional standardized testing. The 61.5% completion rate is meaningfully higher than many for-profit peers, suggesting the focused single-program structure works as a retention mechanism.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Galen's peer set includes West Coast University (Los Angeles, Ontario, Orange County campuses), Columbia Southern University, and Chamberlain University Texas - a uniformly nursing-focused or for-profit cluster. Within this group, Galen's 64 ROI is comparable to or stronger than the West Coast University campuses, which charge significantly higher net prices. Chamberlain typically posts higher graduate earnings but at materially higher debt levels. Galen wins the cost-efficiency comparison among for-profit nursing schools.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galen College of Nursing-Louisville (this school) | 64 | $18,540 | $61,480 |
| Chamberlain University-Ohio | 73 | $31,544 | $92,405 |
| Chamberlain University-Texas | 73 | $32,209 | $92,405 |
| West Coast University-Ontario | 71 | $49,590 | $102,672 |
| Baptist Health Sciences University | 69 | $11,212 | $72,529 |
| AdventHealth University | 63 | $30,135 | $72,282 |
Who Thrives Here
Galen enrolls 4,801 students with a 24.6% Pell rate. The student body is heavily working adults transitioning into nursing, often as a second career, drawn by accelerated program timing and clinical-placement pipelines through HCA Healthcare (Galen's parent organization). The fit profile is narrow but clear: students committed to becoming RNs who value time-to-credential over a traditional college experience. Anyone uncertain about nursing as a career should take prerequisites at a community college first; Galen's structure does not accommodate exploration.
The Verdict: A Reasonable Bet - With Caveats
Galen College of Nursing-Louisville is a fair-value bet, but how well it pays off depends a lot on you. At $18,540 a year after aid ($74,160 over four years), with the typical graduate earning $61,480 a decade out, the cost takes about 8.1 years to earn back. That's roughly average - not a bargain, not a mistake.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates. What to keep an eye on: concerning loan repayment rates.
Median debt of $24,166 against $61,480 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.