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

Among Kentucky's practical nursing programs, Hopkinsville Community College stands out as a middle performer with a crucial advantage: it keeps debt exceptionally low. At $10,898, graduates here borrow less than the state median and far less than the national median of $14,803. While first-year earnings of $37,077 trail the national average by about $7,000, they actually exceed Kentucky's state median by over $5,000—placing this program in the 60th percentile statewide. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 means graduates owe roughly three months of salary, which is manageable for an entry-level healthcare credential.

The caveat: these numbers come from a small group of recent graduates, so individual outcomes may vary more than usual. Still, for Kentucky families, this program offers a reasonable path into nursing without the debt burden seen at some competitors. Students seeking higher immediate earnings might look at Beckfield College or Galen College, but those programs would likely come with steeper costs. Given that 43% of students here receive Pell grants, Hopkinsville appears focused on providing accessible healthcare training to working-class families—and the debt figures suggest they're delivering on that mission better than most.