Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Mid-Plains Community College

Mid-Plains Community College's practical nursing program sits in uncertain territory. With estimated debt around $14,375—below both state and national medians—and first-year earnings tracking close to the national benchmark of $44,134, the math initially looks manageable. That 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates could realistically pay off their loans within a year of full-time work if they're disciplined about it. However, these figures come from comparable programs elsewhere, not this school's actual graduates, so you're betting on Mid-Plains matching outcomes from its peer institutions.

The challenge is Nebraska's nursing market itself. The state median for practical nursing earnings is $39,619—about $4,500 below the national figure that Mid-Plains is assumed to match. Southeast Community College's graduates earn $43,044, which offers a more concrete comparison point within Nebraska, but even that program produces earnings that trail the national average. If Mid-Plains graduates land closer to the state median than the national one, that debt ratio climbs to 0.39, making repayment notably tighter.

For an anxious parent, the key question is whether your child will stay in Nebraska after graduation. The earnings gap between state and national figures matters significantly here. If local employment is the plan, expect a more modest return than these estimates suggest, though the relatively low debt load provides some cushion against that risk.