Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City
Associate's Degree
mcckc.eduAnalysis
Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City's nursing program lands squarely in the middle of Missouri's offerings—literally at the state median for both earnings and debt—but that positioning tells an important story. While graduates earn about $5,000 less than the national average for associate nursing programs, they're performing right alongside the typical Missouri nursing graduate. The $21,188 debt load is manageable with a 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about four months of gross income.
The challenge here is competitive positioning within the Kansas City metro area. Several Missouri community colleges—St. Charles, St. Louis Community College, Jefferson College—consistently place their graduates $4,000 to $5,000 higher on the earnings ladder within the first year. That gap persists over time, with modest 4% earnings growth suggesting Metropolitan grads aren't catching up to their peers at other institutions. For a family weighing options within driving distance, those differences matter: over a career, even a $4,000 annual gap compounds significantly.
If Metropolitan Community College offers substantially lower tuition or better location convenience for your family, the math still works—nursing jobs are plentiful and the debt is reasonable. But if you're paying similar costs anyway, the top-performing programs in Missouri deliver noticeably better returns. This is a safe choice that gets you to a nursing career without financial distress, just not an optimized one.
Where Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City Stands
Earnings vs. debt across all registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing associates's programs nationally
Earnings Distribution
How Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City graduates compare to all programs nationally
Earnings Over Time
How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation
| School | 1 Year | 4 Years | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City | $63,534 | $66,315 | +4% |
| Saint Louis Community College | $68,262 | $65,424 | -4% |
| Jefferson College | $67,439 | $61,831 | -8% |
| St Charles Community College | $68,488 | $61,534 | -10% |
| Columbia College | $65,768 | $61,007 | -7% |
Compare to Similar Programs in Missouri
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing associates's programs at peer institutions in Missouri (24 total in state)
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| School | In-State Tuition | Earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Metropolitan Community College-Kansas CityKansas City | $3,630 | $63,534 | $66,315 | $21,188 | 0.33 |
 St Charles Community CollegeCottleville | $3,000 | $68,488 | $61,534 | $18,712 | 0.27 |
 Saint Louis Community CollegeBridgeton | $3,660 | $68,262 | $65,424 | $16,667 | 0.24 |
 Jefferson CollegeHillsboro | $4,500 | $67,439 | $61,831 | $22,554 | 0.33 |
 Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health SciencesCape Girardeau | $11,691 | $67,421 | $56,431 | $23,500 | 0.35 |
 Moberly Area Community CollegeMoberly | $4,020 | $67,023 | $57,091 | $17,587 | 0.26 |
| National Median | — | $68,409 | — | $20,751 | 0.30 |
Career Paths
Occupations commonly associated with registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing graduates
Nurse Anesthetists
Nurse Midwives
Nurse Practitioners
Medical and Health Services Managers
Registered Nurses
Acute Care Nurses
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
Critical Care Nurses
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
About This Data
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)
Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City, approximately 30% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.
Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.
Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.
Sample Size: Based on 150 graduates with reported earnings and 182 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.