Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Craven Community College

Craven Community College's nursing program shows an unusual pattern that deserves careful scrutiny: graduates earn $63,478 in their first year but see that drop to $54,051 by year four—a 15% decline that's uncommon in nursing. While the low debt load of $10,349 (half the national median) initially looks attractive, the earnings lag behind both state and national benchmarks. At the 40th percentile among North Carolina nursing programs, this places Craven solidly in the bottom half, with graduates earning roughly $13,000 less annually than peers from top-performing NC community colleges like Robeson or Stanly.

The earnings decline suggests graduates may be starting in higher-paying hospital positions but moving to lower-paying settings, or facing limited career advancement in the New Bern area. While the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.16 is excellent, that metric matters less when the baseline earnings are themselves below average. Consider that graduates from Johnston or Central Piedmont community colleges earn $20,000 more by year four while carrying only moderately higher debt.

For families committed to staying in eastern North Carolina, this program offers a low-cost entry point to nursing. But if your child has flexibility in where they attend community college, they'd likely be better served by programs in the state's higher-performing systems that deliver stronger long-term earning potential without dramatically higher debt.