Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Coastal Bend College

Texas nursing programs at the associate level produce widely varying outcomes, and while Coastal Bend College lacks its own reported data, peer programs across the state suggest a debt picture worth examining closely. The estimated $17,338 in borrowing falls slightly below both the state median ($18,000) and national median ($20,751), while estimated first-year earnings of $71,487 align precisely with Texas norms—though this figure is simply the state median itself, not actual outcomes from Coastal Bend graduates.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24 looks manageable on paper, meaning graduates from similar programs would need roughly three months of gross income to cover their loans. However, the spread among Texas nursing programs is striking: top-performing schools report first-year earnings exceeding $91,000, while others cluster in the high $70,000s. Without knowing where Coastal Bend's actual graduates land in this range, families are operating with significant uncertainty. For a program serving a community where 28% of students receive Pell grants, that variance matters considerably.

If your child is set on nursing and Coastal Bend offers the most accessible path, the estimated numbers suggest reasonable value—but recognize you're making this decision with limited visibility. Before committing, verify current NCLEX pass rates and job placement specifics directly with the program, as these concrete metrics will tell you more than statewide estimates ever could about what this particular school delivers.