Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Chippewa Valley Technical College

Chippewa Valley Technical College's nursing program starts strong with first-year earnings of $64,532, but then shows an unusual pattern: earnings actually drop to $62,010 by year four. While the debt load is reasonable at $23,151, this backward trajectory raises questions about what happens to graduates after that initial placement.

The program sits middle-of-the-pack in Wisconsin—ranking at the 40th percentile statewide and trailing competitors like Herzing ($73,342) and several technical colleges by $5,000-7,000 annually. Among the 22 Wisconsin nursing programs, there are clearly stronger options that deliver both higher starting salaries and better long-term prospects. Nationally, the picture looks even weaker, with CVTC landing in just the 27th percentile—below the national median of $68,409 for associate nursing programs.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36 is manageable, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in under a year if they dedicated their entire first-year salary to it. But with earnings declining rather than growing, your child would be starting their career on the back foot financially. If nursing school in Wisconsin is the goal, look closely at programs like Blackhawk or Milwaukee Area Technical College, where graduates earn more from day one and presumably maintain that advantage. CVTC isn't a terrible choice, but the data suggests it's not maximizing your investment either.