Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Great Plains Technology Center

Great Plains Technology Center's practical nursing program shows strong first-year outcomes but faces a troubling earnings trajectory worth examining closely. New graduates earn $48,921—well above both national and Oklahoma medians—placing this program in the 60th percentile statewide. With debt of just $11,759 (a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24), graduates enter the workforce with manageable financial obligations that would normally make this an attractive option.

The concern is what happens next: earnings drop to $40,550 by year four, a 17% decline that's unusual for healthcare credentials. This could reflect local market saturation in Lawton, graduates moving to lower-paying settings, or part-time work patterns, but it means the strong start doesn't translate into sustained income growth. Several nearby Oklahoma tech centers—including Green Country and Gordon Cooper—maintain higher earnings trajectories, suggesting this pattern isn't inevitable for LPN programs in the state.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could swing significantly year to year, making them less reliable than data from larger programs. If your child is considering this program, the initial earning power is genuinely competitive, but the earnings decline warrants a direct conversation with the school about graduate employment patterns and why income appears to drop rather than grow.