Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Frederick Community College

Maryland's nursing assistant and practical nursing programs typically prepare graduates for steady work, and Frederick Community College appears positioned near the middle of the pack. Based on comparable programs across the state, first-year earnings around $51,400 would match the Maryland median for this credential—meaningfully above the $44,100 national figure for practical nursing certificates. Several Maryland community colleges report actual outcomes in the high $50,000s to low $60,000s, suggesting the field offers decent entry points regardless of which state program your child attends.

The estimated debt load of $19,200 sits below Maryland's typical $21,400 for similar programs and well above the national median of roughly $14,800. Still, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37, graduates would owe less than four months of their first year's salary—a manageable threshold that should allow reasonable repayment. Nursing credentials generally lead to immediate employment, which helps explain why community colleges dominate the top performers in this field statewide.

The reality: you're looking at estimated figures because Frederick's graduate sample was too small to report publicly, which means less certainty about outcomes here specifically. If nursing is the goal, your child would likely land in similar financial territory at any accredited Maryland community college program, though schools like Howard and Community College of Baltimore County have demonstrated slightly stronger actual earnings. Visit a few campuses, compare clinical placement opportunities, and prioritize program completion rates—those factors matter as much as the estimates suggest about post-graduation finances.