Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Dallas College

Dallas College's nursing program launches graduates into solid starting salaries—$70,630 after year one, above the national median—but there's a notable hitch in the trajectory. While many nursing programs show consistent income growth, Dallas College graduates actually earn less four years out than they did initially, dropping to $67,513. This decline matters because Texas has a particularly strong nursing market, and this program sits at just the 40th percentile statewide. Top Texas community college nursing programs start graduates $8,000-$20,000 higher and typically maintain upward momentum.

The debt picture offers some reassurance: at $17,187, it's manageable relative to first-year earnings and below both state and national medians. A new nurse could realistically pay this off within a year or two of focused repayment. The 100+ graduate sample size means these patterns are reliable, not statistical noise.

For parents, the question centers on opportunity cost. Your child will become an employable nurse with reasonable debt, but they're starting behind peers at dozens of other Texas programs and potentially capping out earlier. If Dallas College offers geographic convenience or specific advantages worth that tradeoff, it remains a viable path to nursing. If you have flexibility on location within Texas, though, programs like El Paso Community College or Texas State Technical College deliver significantly stronger financial outcomes for similar upfront investment.