Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at New River Community College

The most striking feature of New River Community College's practical nursing program isn't what happens in year one—where graduates earn slightly below Virginia's median—but the dramatic 35% earnings drop by year four, from $44,377 to just $28,603. This unusual pattern, combined with a small sample size, suggests something atypical is happening with graduate career trajectories that warrants serious investigation before enrolling.

The program sits in the 40th percentile among Virginia nursing programs, trailing stronger performers like Piedmont Virginia Community College ($61,566) and ECPI University ($51,209) by substantial margins. At $14,864 in debt, the financial burden starts manageable with a 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio initially. However, if that fourth-year figure represents the norm rather than an anomaly, graduates could face repayment challenges as their earnings decline rather than grow.

Given the small sample size, these numbers may not reflect typical outcomes. Before committing, contact the school directly to understand what's driving the earnings decline—whether graduates are moving to part-time work, leaving the field, or facing regional employment challenges. For a nursing credential where steady earnings growth is expected, you'd want confidence that this pattern is a data quirk rather than a trend your child would likely experience.