Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Austin Community College District

Austin Community College's nursing program lands squarely in the middle of the pack—and for Texas, that's actually below average. While graduates earn a solid $68,125 in their first year, this places them in just the 40th percentile among Texas nursing programs, where the state median is $71,487. That gap matters: top-performing Texas community colleges like El Paso and Texas State Technical College see their nursing grads earning $11,000-$23,000 more annually. With 64 nursing programs across Texas, parents should know their student could likely do better staying in-state.

The debt picture offers some relief—$17,481 is manageable for a nursing salary, producing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26 that most graduates can handle comfortably. However, the complete absence of earnings growth from year one to year four deserves attention. Most ACC nursing graduates aren't advancing their careers or increasing their earning power over time, which is unusual in a field known for professional development opportunities.

For families considering ACC, the calculation is straightforward: you're getting a reasonably priced nursing education that produces immediate, middle-of-the-road results. If your student wants to stay in Austin specifically, the program works fine. But if they're willing to consider other Texas community colleges, the data suggests better returns are available elsewhere in the state.