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

Hopkinsville Community College's nursing program shows a puzzling income trajectory that warrants careful examination. Graduates start strong at $65,979—above the Kentucky median for nursing programs and comparable to what nurses at Sullivan University earn throughout their careers. The debt load of $19,409 is also reasonable, below both state and national medians. However, by year four, earnings drop to $52,029, a 21% decline that's unusual for a field where experience typically commands higher pay.

Within Kentucky's competitive nursing landscape, this program ranks at the 60th percentile, outperforming half of in-state options despite lower absolute numbers than powerhouses like University of Pikeville. The starting salary advantage over Kentucky's median is meaningful for graduates entering the workforce. Yet that earnings decline raises questions: Are graduates moving to part-time work, switching roles, or leaving the field? With 43% of students receiving Pell grants, many here are seeking economic mobility, and the starting salary delivers on that promise.

The value proposition depends entirely on your child's four-year plan. If they'll work full-time immediately after graduation and use nursing as a stable career foundation, that first-year salary makes the modest debt worthwhile. If life circumstances might lead to reduced hours—raising children, pursuing further education, relocating—that year-four number becomes more relevant. The starting point is solid; what happens next appears highly individual.