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

A median debt load of around $17,000 against first-year earnings near $71,000 would make Cisco College's nursing program look financially solid—if these weren't estimates. The true outcomes for this specific program remain unknown due to small graduating classes, so you're essentially betting that Cisco's graduates perform like the typical Texas nursing program. That's not an unreasonable bet in a field as standardized as nursing, but it's still a leap.

The estimated earnings align almost perfectly with Texas's statewide median for associate nursing programs, suggesting neither outperformance nor underperformance. Meanwhile, several comparable programs across Texas—at community colleges like El Paso, Weatherford, and Paris Junior—report actual first-year earnings approaching $80,000, nearly $10,000 higher than these estimates. Whether Cisco's program matches the state average or reaches toward those higher outcomes makes a real difference when you're evaluating return on investment.

For parents, the fundamental question is whether you're comfortable with this level of uncertainty. The debt-to-earnings ratio looks manageable on paper, and nursing credentials generally transfer well across employers. But you're making a financial commitment based on how similar programs perform, not on this school's track record. If you need more certainty about outcomes, consider programs with published data—several strong options exist elsewhere in Texas.