Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Chattahoochee Technical College

Chattahoochee Technical College's nursing assistant program produces first-year earnings of $41,533—about $2,600 below the Georgia median for similar programs and $6,500 behind what graduates from Augusta Technical College earn in the same field. While debt estimates based on comparable programs in Georgia suggest a manageable $13,234 burden, the combination of below-average earnings and modest growth (just 8% over four years to $44,927) means graduates may find themselves financially stretched compared to peers at other technical colleges in the state.

The earnings trajectory here is particularly concerning. By year four, when graduates from top-performing Georgia nursing programs are earning $47,000-$51,000, Chattahoochee completers are still under $45,000. That $3,000-$6,000 annual gap compounds significantly over a career, especially for the third of students receiving Pell grants who likely have the least financial cushion. Similar programs across Georgia demonstrate that practical nursing credentials can command stronger wages—this program simply isn't producing those results.

For parents weighing this investment, the red flag isn't the estimated debt load itself but rather what graduates earn relative to nearby alternatives. If your child is committed to practical nursing in the Atlanta area, programs like Georgia Piedmont or North Georgia Technical College show meaningfully higher outcomes. This program won't bury graduates in debt, but it appears to underperform compared to what's achievable elsewhere in Georgia's technical college system.