Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Mt Hood Community College

With nursing careers in high demand across Oregon, the challenge here is assessing Mt Hood's program when both earnings and debt figures come from national medians rather than the school's actual graduate outcomes. The estimated $18,241 in debt sits slightly below the typical national figure of $19,404, while the projected $51,744 first-year salary matches what nursing assistants and LPNs earn nationally. That 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable repayment—roughly a third of annual income—if these estimates hold true for Mt Hood specifically.

The complication is that Oregon's healthcare market and Mt Hood's particular program could differ significantly from the national picture. Only four schools in the state offer this associate's degree pathway, and none have publicly reported outcomes, making it impossible to know whether Oregon LPNs and nursing assistants earn above or below that national benchmark. Portland-area cost of living is notably higher than many regions included in the national median, which matters when evaluating whether $51,744 provides adequate purchasing power.

Before committing, contact Mt Hood directly for their actual placement rates, average starting wages for recent graduates, and which facilities hire their students. Those conversations will reveal whether this program delivers on the national promise or falls short—information the suppressed data can't provide.