Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College

Similar practical nursing programs across Kansas typically produce graduates earning around $43,000 in their first year—right in line with the state median but trailing the stronger programs at Donnelly College and Kansas City Kansas Community College by $5,000-6,000 annually. That gap matters when you're starting your career, though the estimated $14,168 in debt here sits comfortably below both state and national medians for this credential.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33 suggests manageable repayment, meaning graduates from comparable programs could theoretically pay off their loans in about four months of gross income. However, parents should recognize that we're looking at statewide averages here, not actual outcomes from Fort Hays State University-Northwest Kansas Technical College specifically. The program's small graduate cohort means the Department of Education suppresses its data—a common situation at smaller institutions that doesn't necessarily indicate quality issues.

The practical reality: if your child completes a nursing program structured like Kansas peers, they'll likely enter a stable field with immediate employment prospects and reasonable debt. But the variation among Kansas programs—with top performers showing $6,000 higher earnings—suggests that specific school outcomes do matter. Before committing, ask the school directly about their NCLEX pass rates and first-time job placement statistics, which will tell you more about this particular program's value than statewide estimates can.