Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Lane Community College

Lane Community College's practical nursing program graduates earn solidly above the national median ($50,569 vs. $44,134), but here's the catch: Oregon's nursing market pays exceptionally well, and this program sits at just the 40th percentile statewide. In a state where the median practical nurse earns $55,182, graduates here are leaving nearly $5,000 annually on the table compared to their Oregon peers. Schools like Institute of Technology and Concorde Career College-Portland are placing graduates at $58,000+, suggesting Lane may not be maximizing students' earning potential in this high-demand field.

The debt picture is reasonable—$16,935 puts graduates at a manageable 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio, and they'll owe roughly the state median. That's not a deal-breaker, but combined with below-median earnings for Oregon, it means the financial advantage that nursing typically offers is somewhat diminished here.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty to these numbers, but the pattern is clear enough: if your child is committed to nursing in Oregon and has options, compare Lane's outcomes carefully against other state programs. The pathway works—graduates are employable with manageable debt—but they're not reaching the higher earning tiers that Oregon's nursing market typically delivers.