Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Gordon State College

Gordon State's nursing associate program launches graduates into respectable starting salaries near $69,000—just above the national median—but there's a catch that matters. While you're looking at Georgia's 31 nursing programs, this one lands below the state median of $71,000, ranking in the 40th percentile among in-state options. More concerning: earnings actually slip to $67,000 by year four, suggesting graduates may face challenges advancing or securing higher-paying positions compared to peers from other Georgia programs.

The debt picture offers some consolation. At $22,298, borrowing levels run slightly above both state and national medians, but the 0.32 debt-to-earnings ratio remains quite manageable—you're looking at roughly four months of salary to cover the debt. Gordon State serves a significant population of Pell-eligible students (47%), and for those families, an accessible nursing pathway with contained debt has real value.

The question is whether your child should aim higher within Georgia's nursing ecosystem. Programs like Chattahoochee Technical College and West Georgia Technical College graduate nurses earning $83,000-86,000—about $17,000 more annually. If your child can access one of those programs (and many Georgia technical colleges maintain high admission rates), the earnings difference compounds significantly over a career. Gordon State delivers a nursing credential that works, but Georgia offers stronger options at comparable accessibility and likely similar cost structures.