Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Eastern Virginia Career College

Based on comparable associate-degree nursing programs nationwide, Eastern Virginia Career College's practical nursing track appears positioned near national norms—with estimated first-year earnings of $51,744 and debt around $21,879. That 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates would need to dedicate roughly five months of their first year's salary to cover educational debt, which falls within manageable territory for healthcare credentials. The jump to $62,710 by year four (actual reported data) shows solid income progression, which is typical as LPNs gain experience and potentially add certifications.

What's less clear is how this program stacks up against Virginia's five other practical nursing options, since none have publicly available outcome data. The 58% Pell grant rate indicates Eastern Virginia serves a predominantly lower-income student population, which makes the debt load particularly relevant—these families often have less cushion for repayment struggles. National benchmarks suggest some programs graduate students with as little as $19,404 in debt while producing similar earnings, so there's room to wonder whether this program's cost structure is optimized.

The bottom line: If your child is committed to practical nursing and this location works logistically, the estimated numbers suggest a viable path to stable healthcare employment. But given that all the key figures here are extrapolated from peer institutions rather than this school's actual track record, request placement rates and NCLEX pass rates directly from admissions—those concrete outcomes matter more than estimated earnings when you're writing the tuition check.