Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Felbry College

Felbry College's practical nursing program earns grads $48,323 in their first year—about $5,000 more than Ohio's median for this credential and $4,000 above the national average. That puts it solidly above the 60th percentile statewide, landing in the same ballpark as respected programs at Cincinnati State and Central Ohio Technical College. More importantly, students here graduate with just $9,500 in debt, roughly half what typical Ohio nursing certificate holders owe.

That 0.20 debt-to-earnings ratio means new grads could realistically pay off their loans in well under a year if they prioritized it—an unusually manageable situation for career training. Nearly half the student body receives Pell grants, suggesting this program successfully serves lower-income students without saddling them with crushing debt. The main caveat is sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few unusually high or low earners could skew these numbers significantly.

For families considering nursing as an affordable entry into healthcare, this program offers a practical path. The earnings aren't top-tier (Cincinnati State grads make about $5,000 more), but the low debt makes this a lower-risk investment than most Ohio alternatives.