Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Colorado Mesa University

The $21,675 in debt at Colorado Mesa University stands notably higher than what's typical for this credential—you're looking at nearly double the state median of $11,875 and well above the national benchmark of $14,803. While similar practical nursing programs in Colorado suggest first-year earnings around $40,000, that debt load translates to a ratio of 0.54, meaning your child would owe more than half their first year's salary. That's manageable but not ideal, especially when other programs in the state appear to deliver stronger outcomes: LPNs from Otero College, for instance, earn in the mid-$70,000s, while graduates from Morgan Community College start above $64,000.

The disconnect becomes clearer when you consider that Colorado's community colleges typically graduate nursing assistants and LPNs with far less debt while feeding them into the same labor market. At $21,675, Colorado Mesa sits in just the 8th percentile nationally for debt—meaning 92% of similar programs saddle students with less. If your child is set on this career path in the Grand Junction area, it's worth a direct conversation with the program about why their costs run so much higher than peer institutions and whether those extra dollars translate into better job placement or clinical training opportunities that justify the premium.