Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Dodge City Community College

Kansas nursing programs cluster tightly around $62,000-$70,000 in first-year earnings, and Dodge City's estimated figures place it squarely in the middle of this pack. Based on comparable associate nursing programs in Kansas, graduates here appear likely to earn around $62,370 in their first year—lower than top performers like Pratt Community College ($70,680) but tracking with the state median. The estimated debt load of roughly $21,000 suggests a manageable financial picture: at a 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio, you're looking at just over four months of gross income to cover total borrowing.

The challenge is that these numbers are estimates drawn from peer programs across Kansas, not actual outcomes from Dodge City's specific cohort. When the Department of Education suppresses data due to small sample sizes, you're essentially betting that this program performs like the average Kansas nursing associate program. Given that nursing credentials are highly standardized and community college programs tend to deliver consistent preparation for the same licensure exam, that's not an unreasonable assumption—but it does mean you can't point to verified success from this campus.

For families prioritizing cost over location, programs like Pratt show there's potential for $8,000 more in first-year earnings within Kansas. If staying in southwest Kansas matters more, Dodge City's estimated outcomes suggest workable finances, though confirming actual graduate placement and NCLEX pass rates directly with the school would help offset the uncertainty in these figures.