Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Coastal Pines Technical College

Coastal Pines Technical College's nursing program starts near-average but encounters a troubling earnings trajectory that should factor heavily into your decision. While first-year graduates earn $40,728—roughly on par with Georgia's median—earnings drop 15% by year four to $34,760. This backward progression is unusual for healthcare credentials and suggests graduates may struggle to advance into better-paying positions or face limited opportunities in the local market.

The program's one clear advantage is cost: at $7,500 in debt, it's substantially cheaper than both the state median ($12,910) and national average ($14,803). That low debt load means graduates can manage payments even with declining earnings, though the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.18 only looks reasonable at the outset. Among Georgia's 26 nursing programs, this ranks in just the 40th percentile for earnings—and when you consider schools like Augusta Technical ($51,024) or Georgia Piedmont ($48,045) offer significantly stronger outcomes, the gap becomes harder to ignore.

For families prioritizing affordability above all else, this program minimizes financial risk. But if your child has options at better-performing Georgia technical colleges, those extra earnings—potentially $10,000+ annually—compound over a career in ways that dwarf the difference in upfront debt. The declining income pattern here isn't just about numbers; it raises questions about whether graduates are building careers or settling into stagnant positions.