Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Estrella Mountain Community College

Estrella Mountain's nursing program comes with an unusual problem: graduates earn exceptionally strong first-year salaries of $78,359—well above both the national and Arizona medians—but then see those earnings drop 12% by year four. That's the opposite trajectory you want from an investment, even when starting pay ranks in the 87th percentile nationally.

The debt picture adds another wrinkle. At $34,003, graduates carry about 50% more debt than typical Arizona nursing programs ($22,872 median) and significantly more than the national average. The silver lining? That first-year salary is high enough to keep the debt-to-earnings ratio at a manageable 0.43. Still, you're paying premium prices for what becomes above-average but not elite performance within Arizona—this program sits at the 60th percentile statewide, behind several other community colleges where graduates likely borrowed less.

The earnings decline suggests graduates may start in higher-paying settings (perhaps acute care hospitals) but either move to lower-paying positions or face wage stagnation. For a family comfortable with the debt level and confident their child will stay in high-paying nursing roles, the strong starting salary provides room to pay down loans quickly. But compare carefully against Glendale Community College or other alternatives that deliver similar outcomes with potentially less borrowing.