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

Itawamba Community College's nursing program lands squarely in the middle of Mississippi's nursing schools—40th percentile statewide—but notably trails the national median by about $8,000 in first-year earnings. What's more concerning is the earnings trajectory: graduates actually see their income dip 5% by year four, falling from $60,245 to $57,477. When several other Mississippi community colleges are placing nurses into jobs paying $67,000-$75,000, this gap deserves scrutiny.

The debt picture offers a silver lining. At $16,125, borrowing here runs below both the state and national medians, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 means graduates can reasonably manage repayment. For a school serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students (46%), keeping debt this contained matters. However, debt alone doesn't tell the full story when earning potential lags behind—you're still comparing manageable debt against below-average income.

If your child is set on staying local, understand they'll likely earn $10,000-$15,000 less annually than peers from top Mississippi nursing programs like Mississippi Delta or Southwest Mississippi. The lower debt helps offset this gap somewhat, but given nursing's generally strong job market, it's worth exploring whether nearby programs might offer better long-term value.