Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Edmonds College

Washington's nursing programs typically produce stronger first-year earnings than the national average—around $51,000 versus $44,000 nationally—which makes Edmonds College's estimated $44,000 figure worth examining closely. Based on comparable certificate programs nationally, graduates here would face about $13,700 in debt, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31. That's manageable on paper, but nearby programs like Clover Park Technical and Olympic College report actual first-year earnings closer to $50,000-$53,000, suggesting Edmonds graduates might face a steeper climb to get established in the field.

The practical concern is whether this program connects graduates to the same job opportunities as its Washington competitors. Nursing assistants and LPNs in Washington generally command solid wages, but if Edmonds students are earning closer to the national median while carrying state-level debt, they're starting from a disadvantage that could take years to overcome. The $7,000-$9,000 gap between estimated outcomes here and reported outcomes at nearby schools represents real money when you're servicing educational debt.

Given the uncertainty in these estimates and the stronger documented performance at other Washington nursing programs, your best move is requesting placement data and wage information directly from Edmonds. Ask specifically where their graduates work and what they typically earn in their first jobs—concrete outcomes matter more than estimated medians when you're committing to a credential program.