Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Ashland Community and Technical College

Ashland Community and Technical College's practical nursing certificate presents a troubling value equation. First-year graduates earn just $26,424—nearly $18,000 below the national median for this program and $5,400 below even Kentucky's state median. This ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally, meaning 95% of similar programs produce better earning outcomes. Within Kentucky alone, where this ranks 25th percentile, top programs like Beckfield College and Galen College see graduates earning nearly double what Ashland's earn.

The debt picture compounds the problem. While the $8,812 in median debt seems manageable in isolation, it places graduates in the 95th percentile for debt burden nationally—meaning only 5% of programs saddle students with more relative to what they'll earn. The 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe about four months of their first-year salary, which would be reasonable if those earnings were competitive. But when you're starting at $26,424 in a field where others routinely earn $40,000-plus, that debt becomes a heavier anchor.

For families considering this program, the numbers suggest looking elsewhere in Kentucky first. With 23 nursing programs in the state and several delivering earnings 50-80% higher, Ashland's outcomes fall short of what practical nursing credentials should provide—even accounting for its lower cost. The program serves a high-need population (43% Pell recipients), but that makes the earnings gap even more consequential for graduates trying to build financial stability.