Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Copper Mountain Community College

California nursing programs command some of the highest entry-level wages in the country, and comparable Associate's degree programs in the state typically produce first-year earnings around $97,000—more than $28,000 above the national median for this credential. Based on peer programs statewide, graduates would likely face about $14,400 in debt, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.15 that's notably better than the typical national burden for nursing programs.

The challenge here is certainty. When a community college's nursing cohort is too small for the Department of Education to publish outcomes, parents are evaluating a program based entirely on state-level patterns rather than this school's track record. California's nursing market is strong—even lower-performing programs in the state beat national benchmarks—but individual schools vary widely. Top-performing California community colleges produce graduates earning $107,000 to $117,000 right out of the gate, while others cluster closer to that $97,000 median.

For families where $14,000 in debt is manageable, the numbers suggest reasonable risk. The 44% Pell grant rate indicates this school serves economically diverse students, and nursing credentials from California community colleges generally open doors. But without this specific program's employment and wage data, you're betting on location and credential type rather than proven institutional performance.