Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Frontier Community College

An estimated debt load of $14,437 positions this program right at Illinois's typical level for associate nursing degrees, though the earnings picture requires some interpretation. Based on comparable nursing programs across Illinois, first-year earnings around $66,360 seem reasonable, yet the reported four-year figure of $57,322 appears lower than expected. This discrepancy could reflect several factors—perhaps graduates working part-time, pursuing further education, or the small sample size that required suppressing the one-year data in the first place.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.22 would typically signal a manageable investment, especially given that nursing credentials generally lead to stable employment. However, the reality that we're working with estimated first-year earnings rather than actual outcomes for Frontier graduates makes it harder to assess this program's specific track record. Top-performing Illinois programs like Ambria College of Nursing and Moraine Valley Community College report earnings $7,000-$9,000 higher, suggesting meaningful variation in outcomes across the state's nursing schools.

For parents, the key question is whether Frontier's actual outcomes match the state average this estimate assumes. The low debt is genuine and favorable, but without confirmed earnings data for this program's graduates, you're essentially betting that this small nursing program performs at least as well as the typical Illinois associate nursing degree. Request placement rates and ask where recent graduates are working—concrete employment outcomes matter more here than estimated figures.