Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at North-West College-San Diego

The $33,000 debt here requires scrutiny: it's more than double what students pay at the typical California nursing program ($15,625), yet the earnings outcome of $96,185 lands right at the state median. You're essentially paying a premium for middle-of-the-pack results. While this beats most nursing programs nationally, in California—where you'd likely work—dozens of community colleges produce comparable or better outcomes for half the cost. Yuba College and Merced College graduates, for instance, earn $20,000+ more while borrowing far less.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34 isn't alarming on its face, but context matters. With nearly half the students receiving Pell grants, many families here are price-sensitive, and that extra $17,000 in borrowing compared to state norms represents real financial pressure. The program does place graduates into solid nursing salaries quickly, which is its saving grace—you're not dealing with abstract career promises but concrete earning power.

If your child has admission offers from California community colleges with nursing programs, those represent substantially better value. North-West College might make sense if geography or program timing creates barriers elsewhere, but treat it as a premium-priced option where you're paying more for convenience, not superior outcomes.