Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Fort Hays Tech North Central

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 makes this nursing program worth serious consideration. Based on national peer data from similar associate's programs, graduates entering with roughly $18,000 in debt and first-year earnings around $52,000 face manageable repayment. That's about one-third of first-year income—a threshold that typically allows for steady loan payments without financial strain. For healthcare training at the associate level, this represents a relatively quick path to stable employment.

The challenge here is visibility. Fort Hays Tech North Central's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to publish specific outcomes, so these figures come from national medians across comparable nursing programs. What we do know: nationally, practical nursing programs at this level show consistent performance, with the middle 50% earning between $40,000-$62,000 in year one. Kansas hosts only six such programs statewide, and none have publicly reported data, making peer comparison difficult within the state.

For families evaluating this investment, the fundamentals look sound based on what similar programs produce. Practical nursing offers clear employment pathways, and an 18-month to two-year timeline keeps both costs and opportunity costs lower than a four-year track. Just recognize you're relying on broader industry patterns rather than Fort Hays Tech's specific track record. If your child is committed to nursing and values staying local in north-central Kansas, the estimated numbers suggest reasonable value—but confirming job placement rates directly with the school would add helpful specificity.