Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas

Nursing programs in Arkansas show a wide performance spread, and without direct graduate outcomes from Cossatot, the estimated figures—drawn from 18 peer programs statewide—suggest a middle-of-the-pack result. That estimated first-year salary of $67,037 lands right at Arkansas's state median for associate nursing programs, though it trails stronger performers like Phillips Community College ($78,213) and Arkansas State-Newport ($74,682) by over $7,000 annually. Interestingly, the data shows earnings dipping to $60,323 by year four, an unusual pattern that warrants scrutiny about whether graduates are finding stable nursing positions or facing regional market constraints.

The estimated debt load of $17,146 based on comparable Arkansas community colleges creates a manageable 0.26 debt-to-earnings ratio—you'd expect to pay roughly three months of first-year salary toward the total borrowed. That's considerably lighter than the national median debt of $20,751 for nursing associate programs. For a field with consistent workforce demand, these fundamentals work, but the question remains whether Cossatot's specific outcomes match its peers or fall short of programs with documented stronger earnings.

The practical limitation here is significant: without actual graduate data from this campus, you're betting on the average Arkansas nursing program performance rather than proven results from Cossatot itself. If your student can access one of the Arkansas programs with reported outcomes showing $70,000+ first-year earnings, that documented track record removes considerable guesswork from an otherwise solid nursing investment.