Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Lamar State College-Orange

Lamar State College-Orange's nursing program produces reliably employed graduates, but they're earning about $4,000 less than Texas nursing associate degree holders overall. Starting at nearly $68,000, graduates trail the state median of $71,487 and fall short of top-performing Texas programs by $10,000-$20,000. Within Texas, this program ranks in the 40th percentile—meaning six out of ten nursing programs in the state deliver stronger earnings.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $26,319, it's well below the national median but higher than the typical $18,000 for Texas nursing programs. Still, the 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than 40% of their first-year salary—a manageable burden that most nurses can pay down within a few years. The 6% earnings bump to $72,000 by year four shows steady but not spectacular growth.

For parents, this is a functional pathway to nursing that won't crush your child with debt, but it's not maximizing earning potential. If staying in Orange makes sense financially or personally, this program works—nursing jobs are plentiful and the debt is reasonable. But if your child can access programs like El Paso Community College or Texas State Technical College without significantly higher costs, those deliver $10,000+ more in annual earnings for similar or lower debt.