Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at CUNY Medgar Evers College

Similar nursing programs in New York typically prepare graduates who earn around $45,000 in their first year—close to both state and national medians for practical nursing certificates. With estimated debt of about $13,800, this produces a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31, meaning graduates would owe roughly four months' salary. For a certificate program serving Brooklyn's community (57% of students receive Pell grants), these fundamentals suggest reasonable affordability.

The uncertainty here matters, though. Top practical nursing programs in New York report first-year earnings ranging from $56,000 to $66,000—substantially higher than the state median. Whether Medgar Evers graduates land closer to those figures or the median depends on clinical training quality, hospital partnerships, and job placement support—details the suppressed data can't tell us. The difference between $45,000 and $60,000 changes the value calculation significantly, especially in expensive Brooklyn.

For families weighing this program, the estimated numbers suggest a workable investment if outcomes match peer schools statewide. But before committing, ask the college directly about graduate outcomes: Where do students complete clinical rotations? What's the NCLEX pass rate? Which healthcare systems hire their graduates? The answers will reveal whether this program performs at the state median or closer to the stronger programs in the region.