Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at J Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Virginia's nursing assistant and LPN programs show striking variation in outcomes, and J Sargeant Reynolds appears positioned in the middle tier. While top community college programs in the state like Piedmont Virginia report first-year earnings above $60,000, comparable programs across Virginia typically produce earnings around $44,500—the figure estimated here. That's roughly on par with the national median for these credentials, suggesting neither standout performance nor concerning underperformance relative to peer schools.

The estimated debt load of $11,600 works strongly in this program's favor. That's nearly $5,000 below the state median for similar nursing programs and well under the national benchmark of $14,800. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26, graduates from programs like this would typically owe about three months of first-year income—a manageable burden that most LPNs can handle within a reasonable timeframe. The healthcare field's consistent demand for licensed practical nurses adds stability to this calculation.

The real question is whether Reynolds can deliver outcomes closer to Piedmont Virginia's $61,000 rather than the state median. That $17,000 difference would transform the value proposition significantly. Given the limited graduate sample that prevented actual outcome reporting, your best move is contacting the nursing department directly for their recent graduate placement data and asking specifically about employment settings—hospital-based LPN positions tend to pay substantially more than those in long-term care facilities.