Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Chesapeake College

Chesapeake College's nursing program delivers something increasingly rare: strong first-year earnings paired with remarkably low debt. Graduates earn $72,090 right out of the gate—above the national median and matching the Maryland median—while carrying just $11,261 in debt. That 0.16 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about six weeks of gross income, an exceptional position that ranks in the 90th percentile nationally for low debt burden.

The earnings performance is particularly solid, landing in the 76th percentile nationally and 60th percentile among Maryland nursing programs. While Maryland only reports two nursing programs at this credential level, making state rankings less meaningful, the national comparison tells the real story: this program outperforms three-quarters of similar nursing programs across the country. For a community college certificate or diploma program serving a substantial population of Pell grant recipients (27%), these outcomes represent genuine economic mobility.

The value proposition here is straightforward. Parents looking at four-year nursing programs that saddle students with $30,000+ in debt should seriously consider this alternative. Your child could enter the workforce earning over $70,000 annually with minimal debt burden, gaining practical experience while others are still in school accumulating loans. For families concerned about education costs, this represents one of the clearest return-on-investment scenarios in nursing education.