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Major · Health Professions

A specialty-nursing CIP for niche clinical tracks

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other (CIP 51.3899) is a CIP catchall for specialty nursing programs that don’t fit a named sub-discipline. About 2,109 students complete it across 61 institutions, with bachelor’s grads earning $86,549 — close to the broader RN field, with the same nurse-practitioner ramp at the master’s level.

Schools offering
61
Annual completions
2,109
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$84k

About this major

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other (CIP 51.3899) is a CIP catchall — its definition reads "any instructional program in registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research, and clinical nursing not listed above." That means specific program content varies considerably by institution. Programs grouped under this code typically don’t fit one of the named nursing CIPs like Registered Nursing/RN (51.3801, the standard BSN/ADN code), Nursing Administration (51.3802), or named specialty NP tracks (Family Practice Nurse 51.3805, Pediatric Nurse 51.3806). In practice, this code captures specialty NP programs (cardiology, nephrology), nursing-administration BSNs, research-emphasis curricula, and RN-to-BSN completion tracks that schools have classified as "Other."

The major fits students considering a specialty nursing track that the standard named codes don’t describe — typically because the program’s content emphasizes a niche specialty or because the school has positioned the credential outside the mainstream BSN/ADN structure. It rewards the same clinical stamina and analytical orientation that any nursing program demands. The day-to-day at the bachelor’s level looks like a BSN program when the program is pre-licensure: lectures, simulation labs, and supervised clinical rotations with NCLEX-RN as the credential exit.

One grounded observation about scale and earnings: 2,109 students complete this CIP across just 61 institutions, with bachelor’s grads earning $86,549 and associate’s grads earning $81,760 — close to the broader RN field. The packet names the same three BLS occupations as the named Nursing Science CIP: Registered nurses ($93,600, 4.9% growth, bachelor’s), Nurse practitioners ($129,210, 40.1% growth, master’s), and Postsecondary nursing instructors ($79,940, 16.8% growth, doctoral). The wage similarity reflects that the underlying RN labor market is the same regardless of which CIP a program uses. Top producers combine hospital-affiliated nursing schools — Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb (232), Helene Fuld College of Nursing (94) — with public regional universities like Purdue Northwest (214), UMass-Dartmouth (146), and Penn State Main (132).

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Registered nurses $94k +4.9% Bachelor's degree
Nurse practitioners $129k +40.1% Master's degree
Nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary $80k +16.8% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$84k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$82k

Bachelor's

$87k

Who this major is for

Good signs this major fits: you’re considering a specialty nursing program that the standard named CIP codes don’t fully describe, you’ve verified that the specific program is NCLEX-RN-approved (or that it’s a post-licensure RN-to-BSN completion program if you’re already an RN), and you understand the underlying RN labor market is the same as for standard Registered Nursing/RN programs. The bachelor’s pays $86,549 and the nurse-practitioner ramp at $129,210 with 40.1% projected growth is a strong specialty target. Hospital-affiliated programs (Barnes-Jewish Goldfarb, Helene Fuld) typically have particularly strong clinical-placement records.

Reasons to pause: the "Other" CIP code groups programs that don’t fit named tracks, so program quality, content, and licensure pathway vary considerably — ask any prospective school why it uses the 51.3899 code instead of the standard 51.3801 (Registered Nursing) and what the answer reveals about positioning. Always verify NCLEX-RN approval and pathway directly with the program; the CIP code does not tell you. The narrow $5K associate’s-to-bachelor’s wage gap is misleading because most ADN-prepared nurses bridge to BSN to access magnet hospitals and graduate programs. If you’re unsure about specialty nursing, the standard 51.3801 BSN keeps more options open.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing Saint Louis, MO 0 232 232
Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN 0 214 214
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA 0 146 146
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 0 132 132
Career Networks Institute Santa Ana, CA 0 101 101
Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN 0 97 97
Helene Fuld College of Nursing New York, NY 0 94 94
Neumann University Aston, PA 0 84 84
Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies Fayette, MO 0 84 84
New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ 0 67 67
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse

231,308 completions/yr

Nursing Science

2,226 completions/yr

Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing

1,199 completions/yr

Nursing Administration

715 completions/yr

Nursing Practice

556 completions/yr

Adult Health Nurse/Nursing

241 completions/yr

Family Practice Nurse/Nursing

141 completions/yr

Clinical Nurse Leader

9 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition reads: "any instructional program in registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research, and clinical nursing not listed above." In practice, that means specialty nursing programs that don’t map to a named CIP — for example specialty NP tracks (cardiology NP, nephrology NP), nursing-administration BSN programs, and nursing-research-emphasis curricula. Specific program content varies considerably by institution; the "Other" code is intentionally broad.
Will this lead to RN licensure?
Only if the specific program is approved for NCLEX-RN by your state board of nursing. The CIP code itself doesn’t tell you. Some programs in this code are pre-licensure BSN tracks; others are post-licensure RN-to-BSN completion programs that require existing RN licensure as a prerequisite. Always verify NCLEX-RN approval and licensure pathway with the program before enrolling — this is non-negotiable.
How does this compare to standard Registered Nursing (CIP 51.3801)?
Registered Nursing/RN (51.3801, 231,308 completions) is the default named code for BSN and ADN programs leading to NCLEX-RN. This CIP (51.3899, 2,109 completions) is the residual — programs that don’t fit the standard named code. The wage data is similar (bachelor’s grads at $86,549 in both) because the underlying RN labor market is the same. If you’re considering a 51.3899 program, ask why the school chose the "Other" code instead of the standard 51.3801 — the answer reveals the program’s specific positioning.
What jobs do graduates land?
Same as the broader RN field: hospital med-surg, intensive care, emergency departments, ambulatory clinics, public health, home health, and specialty units. The packet names three BLS occupations: Registered nurses ($93,600, 4.9% growth, bachelor’s), Nurse practitioners ($129,210, 40.1% growth, master’s), and Postsecondary nursing instructors ($79,940, 16.8% growth, doctoral). The 40.1% NP growth is the strongest specialty ramp.
Is the bachelor’s worth it over an associate’s?
The data shows a narrow $4,789 gap — associate’s grads at $81,760 versus bachelor’s at $86,549. Both can sit NCLEX-RN where the program is approved, but most magnet hospitals now hire BSN-prepared nurses preferentially, and the BSN is the prerequisite for nearly every master’s program (NP, CRNA, CNS, nurse leadership). If the long-term plan includes graduate nursing or specialty practice, the bachelor’s is the practical floor.
Where are the strongest programs concentrated?
Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing (232 completions) leads, followed by Purdue University Northwest (214), UMass-Dartmouth (146), Penn State Main (132), Career Networks Institute (101), Indiana State (97), Helene Fuld College of Nursing (94), Neumann University (84), and Central Methodist (84). The mix combines hospital-affiliated nursing schools (Barnes-Jewish, Helene Fuld) with public regional universities — choose based on NCLEX-RN approval and clinical placements relative to where you intend to work.