Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 44 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$70,425 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
6.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
+59%Modeled 10-year ROI
$64,035Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$64,035Median reported earnings · year 4
$53,259Average reported earnings · year 5
$20,000Median federal debt
79thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
44Reporting programs
39With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,921
- Federal debt
- $14,912
- Reporting programs
- 862
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,035
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Reporting programs
- 44
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $30,043
- Federal debt
- $15,250
- Reporting programs
- 6
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $50,497
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,791
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 9
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$53,061National median$64,03575th percentile$76,313
39 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Carrington College-Sacramento$112,1762Carrington College-San Jose$112,1763Unitek College$108,6124John A Logan College$95,6645Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts$85,5296Eastern Virginia Career College$80,1637Green River College$76,6568San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia$76,3139San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield$76,31310San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage$76,313Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesSOC 29-2061 · 2 crosswalk linksNursing AssistantsSOC 31-1131 · 2 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrington College-SacramentoAssociate's Degree | Sacramento, CA | $112,176 | $32,832 | +289% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Carrington College-San JoseAssociate's Degree | San Jose, CA | $112,176 | $32,832 | +312% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Unitek CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fremont, CA | $108,612 | $22,848 | +353% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | John A Logan CollegeAssociate's Degree | Carterville, IL | $95,664 | Not available | +401% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Gurnick Academy of Medical ArtsAssociate's Degree | San Jose, CA | $85,529 | $20,594 | +162% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Eastern Virginia Career CollegeAssociate's Degree | Fredericksburg, VA | $80,163 | Not available | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 7 | Green River CollegeAssociate's Degree | Auburn, WA | $76,656 | Not available | +169% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | San Joaquin Valley College-VisaliaAssociate's Degree | Visalia, CA | $76,313 | $20,000 | +115% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | San Joaquin Valley College-BakersfieldAssociate's Degree | Bakersfield, CA | $76,313 | $20,000 | +129% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho MirageAssociate's Degree | Rancho Mirage, CA | $76,313 | $20,000 | +114% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | San Joaquin Valley College-Santa MariaAssociate's Degree | Santa Maria, CA | $76,313 | $20,000 | +118% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Southern Union State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Wadley, AL | $73,863 | Not available | +182% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Coastal Alabama Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Bay Minette, AL | $71,996 | Not available | +130% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | Central Alabama Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Alexander City, AL | $69,696 | Not available | +102% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | Dickinson State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Dickinson, ND | $69,015 | $18,807 | +103% | Strong payoff |
| 16 | Bevill State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Jasper, AL | $68,599 | Not available | +132% | Strong payoff |
| 17 | Pacific CollegeAssociate's Degree | Costa Mesa, CA | $67,162 | $16,125 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | Grayson CollegeAssociate's Degree | Denison, TX | $65,949 | $17,675 | +106% | Strong payoff |
| 19 | North Dakota State College of ScienceAssociate's Degree | Wahpeton, ND | $64,660 | $24,385 | +75% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Perkinston, MS | $64,035 | $16,130 | +83% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Arkansas Tech UniversityAssociate's Degree | Russellville, AR | $60,353 | $23,983 | +32% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Coconino Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Flagstaff, AZ | $60,260 | $14,487 | +29% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | Merced CollegeAssociate's Degree | Merced, CA | $59,178 | Not available | +42% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Hennepin Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn Park, MN | $58,915 | $24,682 | +26% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | ATA CollegeAssociate's Degree | Louisville, KY | $57,073 | $32,477 | -18% | Negative payoff |
| 26 | Cossatot Community College of the University of ArkansasAssociate's Degree | De Queen, AR | $56,998 | Not available | +21% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Pennsylvania College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Williamsport, PA | $56,945 | $20,191 | -15% | Negative payoff |
| 28 | Fortis Institute-ScrantonAssociate's Degree | Scranton, PA | $53,667 | $26,749 | -34% | Negative payoff |
| 29 | Miller-Motte College-TulsaAssociate's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $53,061 | $21,879 | -40% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Miller-Motte College-ChattanoogaAssociate's Degree | Chattanooga, TN | $53,061 | $21,879 | -42% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-MetroAssociate's Degree | San Juan, PR | $51,631 | $18,330 | -39% | Negative payoff |
| 32 | Riverside City CollegeAssociate's Degree | Riverside, CA | $51,585 | Not available | -38% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Trinity Valley Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Athens, TX | $49,001 | $14,250 | -59% | Negative payoff |
| 34 | New Age TrainingAssociate's Degree | New York, NY | $40,492 | $8,127 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
| 35 | College of the DesertAssociate's Degree | Palm Desert, CA | $40,391 | Not available | -138% | Negative payoff |
| 36 | Guam Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Mangilao, GU | $37,163 | Not available | -180% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-GuayamaAssociate's Degree | Guayama, PR | $25,572 | $5,500 | -279% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo CampusAssociate's Degree | Gurabo, PR | $23,318 | $8,475 | -308% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Universal Technology College of Puerto RicoAssociate's Degree | Aguadilla, PR | $15,362 | Not available | -389% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Butte CollegeAssociate's Degree | Oroville, CA | Not available | $13,382 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,520 |
| 41 | Caribbean University-BayamonAssociate's Degree | Bayamon, PR | Not available | $8,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $4,665 |
| 42 | Caribbean University-CarolinaAssociate's Degree | Carolina, PR | Not available | $8,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,791 |
| 43 | Caribbean University-PonceAssociate's Degree | Ponce, PR | Not available | $8,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $4,964 |
| 44 | Caribbean University-Vega BajaAssociate's Degree | Vega Baja, PR | Not available | $8,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $5,235 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.