This paper assesses the relative value to employers and Registered Nurses (RNs) of different types of basic education in nursing: the associate degree; the baccalaureate degree; and the nursing diploma. Using the National Sample Surveys of Registered Nurses the determinants of nursing wages are evaluated with a Tobit model. After finding that RNs do not expect to gain (financially) from obtaining the baccalaureate degree in nursing (BSN) the reasons why a prospective nurse would pursue a BSN are explored. Non-wage career objectives and personal circumstances when education begins appear to be more important determinants of the choice of RN training than financial returns.