Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Eastern Iowa Community College District

Eastern Iowa Community College District's practical nursing program outperforms most Iowa alternatives by a significant margin, ranking in the 80th percentile statewide with first-year earnings of $45,662—that's $12,000 more than the typical Iowa graduate in this field. Even Des Moines Area Community College, the second-best performer in the state, trails by over $11,000. The debt load of $19,835 is manageable, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.43, and it's well below what most nursing programs nationally charge.

The earnings picture is stable rather than spectacular, with graduates seeing modest 4% growth to $47,427 by year four. While this isn't the income trajectory of a bachelor's degree program, it reflects the reality of practical nursing roles where compensation plateaus relatively quickly. What matters more is the strong starting position and reasonable debt burden, which together create a solid foundation for early-career financial stability.

For Iowa families, this program represents one of the clearest value propositions in practical nursing education statewide. The combination of top-quintile earnings and below-average debt means graduates can build their careers without the financial stress that often accompanies healthcare training. The moderate sample size suggests consistent outcomes across cohorts, making this a relatively safe bet among in-state options.