Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Lemoore College

Lemoore College nursing graduates start at nearly $100,000—well above the national median but sitting in the middle of California's competitive nursing market. While this places them in the 95th percentile nationally, the 60th percentile state ranking reveals what parents really need to know: this is solid performance in a state where nursing associate's degrees routinely deliver six-figure starting salaries. The $14,000 debt load is manageable, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.14.

The concerning pattern here is the earnings trajectory, which dips to $95,133 by year four. However, these figures come from a small sample size (under 30 graduates), meaning a few career changes or part-time workers could skew the numbers significantly. In California's robust healthcare market, experienced RNs typically see earnings growth, not decline, so this data point warrants skepticism.

For parents evaluating nursing programs in California's Central Valley, Lemoore delivers strong starting outcomes at reasonable cost. The program won't match the earnings of top California programs like Unitek or Yuba College, but with first-year salaries approaching $100,000 and minimal debt, graduates are immediately positioned for financial stability. Just recognize that the small graduate pool means your child's individual experience—job placement, specialty choice, work schedule—will matter more than these averages suggest.