Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga

Miller-Motte College-Chattanooga serves a predominantly low-income student population (85% Pell recipients) with a practical nursing program that performs right at Tennessee's median but lags behind stronger programs nationally. At $45,301 in first-year earnings, graduates earn about $6,400 less than the national median for this field. The manageable debt load of $21,879—requiring less than half of first-year earnings to repay—is the program's strongest feature, though it's still slightly above the national median.

The concerning element here is the earnings trajectory: graduates actually see a 4% decline from year one to year four, dropping to $43,582. This downward trend is unusual in nursing fields, where experience typically commands higher pay. It may reflect the challenging economics of LPN/LVN roles in the Chattanooga market, where hospitals increasingly prefer RN-level credentials for advancement opportunities. For context, this program ranks in only the 25th percentile nationally for earnings, suggesting Tennessee's nursing market overall may be less lucrative than other states.

For families weighing this investment, the math works—the debt burden is reasonable and employment in practical nursing remains steady. However, with limited growth potential and below-average national earnings, this makes most sense as a stepping stone for students who plan to bridge into an RN program later or who need immediate healthcare employment in Tennessee rather than as a long-term career endpoint.