Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Colorado Northwestern Community College

The small sample size here is important context, but Colorado Northwestern's numbers reveal an unusual pattern worth examining. Graduates start strong at $70,087—slightly above the national median and competitive with many Colorado nursing programs. Then earnings drop 22% by year four to $54,964, falling well below both the state median ($71,592) and what graduates earn at similar Colorado community colleges. This isn't the typical nursing trajectory, where earnings grow as nurses gain experience and certifications.

That earnings decline puts this program at the 40th percentile among Colorado nursing schools—meaning six out of ten programs in the state produce better four-year outcomes. Compare that to top performers like Morgan Community College ($76,759) or Front Range ($76,014), which are also community colleges with similar tuition structures. The debt load of $20,475 is actually reasonable for nursing and slightly better than Colorado's median, but debt means less when earnings underperform by this margin.

For a rural Colorado nursing program, this could work if your child plans to stay in the Rangely area where cost of living is lower. But if they're considering nursing programs anywhere in the state, the data suggests looking at the higher-performing community colleges first. The earnings trajectory here doesn't match what you typically see from nursing degrees—and with such a small graduate cohort, it's worth asking the school directly about job placement and whether these numbers reflect broader trends.