Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Essex County College

Essex County College's nursing program sits in an interesting spot: it beats the national average by $2,000 in first-year earnings, but trails New Jersey's state median by nearly $5,000. Among the state's 23 nursing programs, this lands in the 40th percentile—squarely middle of the pack in a state where several community colleges push graduates well into the $80,000s and beyond. The $20,430 debt load is manageable (just 29% of first-year income), and the 25% earnings bump from year one to year four suggests solid career progression for nurses who stay in the field.

The real question is opportunity cost. Hudson County Community College graduates earn $22,000 more annually—that's over $88,000 in additional income across just four years. Ocean County and Raritan Valley also show significantly stronger outcomes. Still, Essex serves a predominantly Pell-eligible student body (51%), and for students who need to stay local in Newark, a $70,500 starting salary paired with modest debt beats most non-nursing alternatives. The small sample size here (under 30 graduates tracked) means these numbers could shift considerably with more data, but the pattern is consistent enough: this program works, even if it's not the state's strongest performer.