Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at McHenry County College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.22 is exactly what nursing families hope to see—though it's worth noting that both the $14,437 debt figure and the $66,360 first-year earnings come from statewide medians for similar Illinois community college nursing programs, not from McHenry County College's specific graduates. The actual four-year earnings of $72,721 suggest solid career progression, but without reported debt or early earnings data from this school, you're essentially betting that their outcomes match the Illinois average.

That state average looks reasonable. Similar nursing programs in Illinois typically produce first-year earnings around $66,360 with debt around $14,500—both figures that compare favorably to the national medians of $68,409 in earnings and $20,751 in debt. The challenge is that some nearby alternatives show stronger results: Ambria College of Nursing graduates earn $75,461, while Moraine Valley and College of Lake County both top $72,000 in year one. Whether McHenry County College performs at the state median or closer to these higher benchmarks remains unknown.

The four-year earnings data at least confirms that this program's graduates stay in nursing and see income growth. If the estimated figures prove accurate, you're looking at manageable debt for a stable healthcare career. Just understand you're making this decision with less certainty than you'd have at programs with fully reported outcomes.