Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Coffeyville Community College

Coffeyville Community College's nursing program sits right at the Kansas median for first-year earnings ($62,328 versus $62,370 statewide), but comes with notably lower debt than most Kansas programs—about $3,500 less than the state median. That's a real advantage in a field where you'll need to work your way up through experience rather than credentials alone.

The concerning part is how far this trails top Kansas programs: Pratt Community College graduates earn $8,000 more in their first year, and several other Kansas community colleges also show stronger outcomes. Since nursing salaries tend to be relatively standardized within regions, this gap likely reflects differences in job placement networks or clinical training partnerships. The 18th percentile nationally is misleading here—what matters more is that among Kansas programs, this ranks middle-of-the-pack (40th percentile), and Kansas nursing salaries run below the national average overall.

With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28, graduates should be able to manage payments comfortably on a nursing salary. However, the small sample size means these numbers could shift significantly with future cohorts. If your child has acceptance offers from multiple Kansas nursing programs, schools like Pratt, Labette, or Johnson County appear to deliver stronger early earning potential. If Coffeyville is the local option with the lowest total cost of attendance, the reduced debt load helps offset the lower starting salary.