Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Community College of Aurora

Colorado's nursing assistant and practical nursing programs show dramatic variation in outcomes—from the $74,000 first-year earnings at Otero College to far more modest results elsewhere. Community College of Aurora's graduates, based on comparable programs in the state, likely earn around $40,000 in their first year, putting them near the middle of Colorado programs but below the national median of $44,134. The debt load of $17,667 sits above both state and national medians, though it remains manageable at 44 cents owed for every dollar earned in year one.

The practical concern for parents is that several Colorado programs—including nearby competitors in Aurora like Concorde and Pima Medical Institute—demonstrate substantially higher earning potential, with some graduates clearing $54,000 to $57,000 right out of the gate. Since these are estimated figures based on peer programs rather than actual tracked outcomes from CCA graduates, there's inherent uncertainty about whether this specific program performs above or below that state median.

For $17,667 in debt, you'd want confidence that your investment will match or exceed what similar programs deliver. Given the wide spread in Colorado outcomes and the lack of actual earnings data from this campus, compare CCA's clinical partnerships, job placement rates, and NCLEX pass rates against those higher-performing programs. The debt is reasonable if the outcomes prove typical, but problematic if they fall toward the lower end of that state range.