Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Idaho State University

With an estimated debt load of $18,241—slightly below the national median for this field—Idaho State's nursing assistant associate program positions students for manageable repayment. Similar programs across the country typically produce first-year earnings around $51,744, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35. That means graduates would owe roughly four months of gross salary, a workable starting point for a healthcare credential.

The challenge is what comes next. Nursing assistant and LPN roles, while stable, don't typically offer the salary growth trajectory of RN positions. The national 75th percentile sits at $61,679, suggesting limited upward mobility without additional credentials. For students planning to use this as a stepping stone toward an RN license, the investment makes sense—it provides clinical experience and income while working toward a bachelor's. But as a terminal degree, it delivers steady employment in a field with consistent demand, not a pathway to significantly higher earnings.

Given Idaho State's relatively low Pell grant enrollment (27% versus the national average of 50% for community colleges), this program may serve students who already have some financial resources and view this as career entry rather than a complete nursing education. If your child plans to stop at the associate level, understand they're choosing stability over advancement. If this is step one toward becoming an RN, the modest debt makes it a reasonable foundation.