Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Hesston College

Similar nursing programs in Kansas suggest first-year earnings around $62,370, which would place Hesston's associate nursing program squarely in the middle of the state's 22 offerings. The estimated $26,624 in debt sits higher than both the Kansas median ($21,250) and national median ($20,751) for comparable programs, though the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 remains manageable—graduates would need to dedicate roughly 43% of their first-year income to pay off loans in a single year.

The progression from year one to year four raises questions. While peer programs typically show modest growth over time, this program's earnings appear to dip slightly to $59,322 by the fourth year. This could reflect part-time work, career changes, or the small sample size inherent in suppressed data. Kansas community colleges like Pratt and Rasmussen report stronger outcomes above $68,000, suggesting parents might want to understand what differentiates Hesston's program beyond the estimated figures.

For a family weighing this investment, the key issue is uncertainty. With both earnings and debt derived from peer programs rather than Hesston's actual graduate outcomes, you're essentially betting that Hesston performs like the average Kansas nursing program—not the best, not the worst. If your child has offers from Kansas community colleges with transparent, reported data showing higher earnings and lower debt, those programs offer more certainty about the return on investment.