Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Fort Scott Community College

Fort Scott Community College's nursing associate program produces first-year earnings of $55,847—about $6,500 below the Kansas median for similar programs and roughly $12,500 below the national benchmark. The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year, but the gap is substantial enough to warrant attention. Within Kansas, this program sits at the 40th percentile, meaning six out of ten comparable nursing programs in the state yield better initial earnings.

The debt load of $23,832 is relatively manageable, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43. That's better than many programs nationwide and close to Kansas norms. Still, when you're earning notably less out of the gate, even moderate debt takes longer to pay down than it would for graduates from higher-earning programs like Pratt Community College ($70,680) or Johnson County Community College ($64,303).

For families prioritizing local access and lower tuition costs, Fort Scott may still make sense, especially if your child plans to work in a lower-cost-of-living area where these earnings stretch further. But if you're comparing nursing programs across Kansas, the data suggests stronger options exist that could justify a longer commute or relocation—particularly when the earnings gap is $8,000 to $15,000 annually right from the start.