Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at North Central Michigan College

North Central Michigan College's nursing program keeps debt remarkably low at $14,483—about $8,000 below the Michigan median—but the earnings trajectory raises questions. Graduates start at $65,070, already trailing both the state median ($68,396) and national average ($68,409) by roughly $3,000. More concerning, earnings actually drop 8% by year four to just under $60,000, while most nursing careers see steady growth during this period.

Within Michigan's competitive nursing landscape, this program sits squarely in the middle at the 40th percentile, with the top programs in the state—Jackson College, Mid Michigan, Schoolcraft—placing graduates who earn $10,000+ more annually. That gap matters financially over a career, even with the lower initial debt. The unusual earnings decline could reflect part-time work trends, the local job market in northern Michigan, or graduate career patterns that differ from typical nursing paths.

The value proposition here depends on your family's priorities. If minimizing debt is paramount and your child plans to stay in the Petoskey area, the low borrowing makes this workable—the debt ratio of 0.22 is comfortable. But if maximizing earning potential matters more, Michigan has two dozen nursing programs where graduates consistently earn more, and the additional debt is typically modest enough to justify choosing them instead.