Kentucky State University’s associate degree in nursing was recently identified by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) as an exemplary program in preparing underrepresented minority (URM) students for early career success. 

Research from CPE, with support from the Lumina Foundation, indicates URM graduates from Kentucky State’s Associate of Applied Sciences in nursing program are earning competitive wages in their first year after graduation.  

According to information from CPE, the median earnings of URM graduates from Kentucky State exceeded the median earnings of their non-URM peers over the past 10 years. In a state-wide comparison, this program is in the top 5 percent of all academic programs in preparing URM students for early career success. 

Further research by CPE will continue, examining the characteristics of successful academic programs.