Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Ellsworth Community College

Ellsworth Community College's nursing program graduates earn nearly $10,000 less than the national median for associate-degree nurses, landing at just the 5th percentile nationwide. That's a significant gap in a field known for strong, consistent pay. Within Iowa, the picture improves somewhat—these graduates fall at the 40th percentile statewide—but they're still earning $3,000-$7,000 less than peers from the state's top community college nursing programs like Iowa Western or Kirkwood.

The debt load of $22,125 is fairly typical, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38. Graduates should be able to handle their loan payments on a nursing salary, even at this lower earnings level. The modest 3% earnings growth over four years suggests stable but unspectacular career progression, which is common in nursing where early-career salaries are relatively established.

One critical caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could heavily skew these numbers. That said, when a nursing program consistently produces graduates earning in the bottom 5% nationally, parents should ask hard questions about clinical partnerships, placement support, and whether graduates are finding positions in higher-paying hospital settings versus lower-paid facilities. For Iowa families, exploring the state's stronger-performing community college nursing programs might yield better returns on a similar investment.