Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Clover Park Technical College

When earnings estimates from peer nursing programs in Washington suggest nearly $80,000 in first-year income against roughly $18,000 in debt, the financial fundamentals look solid—but remember these aren't Clover Park's actual outcomes. With 32 nursing programs across the state, Washington's community college ADN pathway is well-established, and the state median estimates used here reflect what similar technical college programs typically produce. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.23 would mean graduates earn about $4.30 for every dollar borrowed, which beats both the state and national debt medians for associate nursing programs.

The challenge is that nearby programs with reported data—Highline, Olympic, Lake Washington Institute—show graduates earning $83,000 to $85,000 in their first year. Whether Clover Park matches those stronger performers or falls closer to the state average matters considerably when you're comparing job offers and loan payments. The estimates here place the program right at Washington's median, which could mean it's genuinely typical or simply that we lack the graduate data to know where it actually stands.

For parents, the core question is whether you're comfortable enrolling based on what similar programs achieve rather than this school's track record. If your child needs an ADN program in the Tacoma area and the estimated debt stays under $20,000, the nursing labor market in Washington is strong enough to make this a defensible choice—just know you're betting on Clover Park performing like its peers, not on verified outcomes.