Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Mildred Elley School-Albany Campus

The estimated $21,879 in debt here sits nearly triple the typical debt for New York nursing assistant programs—a significant gap that demands scrutiny, especially since 80% of students qualify for Pell grants. While comparable programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $51,744, New York's practical nursing programs tell a starkly different story, with the state median at just $25,034. That's less than half the national figure, reflecting either different credentialing paths or New York's bifurcated healthcare labor market.

If this program's graduates earn closer to what other New York schools produce—around $25,000—then the debt burden becomes genuinely concerning, representing nearly a full year's salary. Even if outcomes align with the $51,744 national benchmark, you're looking at debt equivalent to about five months of gross earnings, which is manageable but not exceptional for a two-year healthcare credential. The fundamental question is whether Mildred Elley's curriculum leads to LPN licensure (which commands higher wages) or positions graduates primarily as nursing assistants—a distinction that would explain the earnings variance and determine whether this investment pencils out.

Given the lack of school-specific data and the wide range of outcomes among peer programs, request concrete information from admissions: What exactly do graduates sit for—LPN boards or CNA certification? What do *their* recent graduates actually earn in the Capital Region? Without those answers, this program carries too much financial uncertainty for a family already stretched thin.