Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Canton City Schools Adult Career and Technical Education

Canton City Schools' nursing assistant program shows a troubling downward earnings trajectory that puts it well below both state and national norms. Graduates start at $36,643—already $6,500 below Ohio's median for these programs—and then see earnings drop another 11% to just $32,451 by year four. This places the program in the bottom quarter of Ohio nursing assistant programs (25th percentile), with graduates earning roughly $15,000 less annually than peers from Cincinnati State or Fortis College programs.

The debt load of $13,220 is actually lighter than typical for Ohio nursing programs, yielding a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36. However, that relative affordability doesn't offset the core problem: graduates are earning roughly $11,000 less than the state median and experiencing backward wage movement when they should be gaining experience and advancing. The 58% Pell grant rate suggests the program serves students who particularly need strong earnings outcomes.

For anxious parents, the key question is whether this program opens doors to advancement in healthcare. The declining earnings pattern suggests it may not—graduates appear stuck in entry-level roles while peers from stronger Ohio programs move up. Unless location constraints make this the only viable option, Ohio families should compare outcomes against Cincinnati State or Cuyahoga Community College, where graduates earn 40-50% more with similar debt burdens.