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

North Central Texas College's nursing program starts graduates at $65,491—nearly $6,000 below the Texas median and $13,000 less than top state programs like Weatherford College. More troubling, earnings drop to $59,057 by year four, a 10% decline that moves in the opposite direction of career growth.

At 40th percentile among Texas nursing programs, this lands in the bottom half of state options. The debt load of $21,948 is reasonable in absolute terms (manageable at 0.34 times first-year earnings), but graduates are carrying slightly above-average debt while earning below-average wages—a double disadvantage. When El Paso Community College graduates are earning $79,996 with similar debt, the gap becomes hard to ignore.

The downward earnings trajectory deserves scrutiny. While some nurses shift to different roles or reduce hours, a 10% drop over four years suggests graduates may face limited advancement opportunities or need to change employers to grow their careers. For Texas families, this program delivers an RN license and manageable debt, but puts graduates behind their in-state peers from the start. If your child has options at higher-ranked Texas community colleges, those programs offer meaningfully better financial outcomes without requiring substantially more debt.