Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas

Looking at comparable practical nursing programs in Arkansas, this certificate appears to deliver reasonable value despite earning potential that trails state leaders. Similar programs typically produce first-year earnings around $38,276 against estimated debt of $11,218—a manageable 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio that suggests students can reasonably expect to handle loan payments on an LPN's salary.

The concern here is the earnings gap. While peer programs across Arkansas cluster around this $38,000 mark, the state's top performers—Baptist Health College Little Rock and Northwest Technical Institute—report graduates earning $47,000 to $48,000 in their first year. That $10,000 difference compounds over time and matters significantly for healthcare workers entering a demanding field. Arkansas LPNs generally earn about $6,000 less than the national median, so geography plays a role, but even within the state, clear performance differences exist among programs.

For families weighing this investment, the fundamentals work: nursing credentials reliably lead to employment, and the estimated debt burden here won't be crushing. But with 28 programs across Arkansas and actual data showing some consistently produce better outcomes, parents should ask Cossatot directly about their graduates' job placement rates and typical starting salaries. The difference between a $38,000 start and a $48,000 start translates to real quality-of-life considerations for a new nurse managing student loans.