Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at North-West College-Van Nuys

North-West College-Van Nuys graduates earn $62,356 their first year—nearly $10,000 above California's median for this program and ranking in the 95th percentile nationally. That's strong placement for a field where many programs struggle to reach $45,000. However, the earnings trajectory tells a puzzling story: by year four, median earnings drop to $46,007, a 26% decline that's unusual even for practical nursing programs. While some graduates may shift to part-time work or take breaks from the field, this degree of earnings erosion warrants attention.

The debt load of $18,845 sits just above California's median and translates to a manageable 0.30 debt-to-earnings ratio based on first-year income. For a program serving 53% Pell-eligible students, that initial salary provides real economic mobility. The concerning part isn't the debt—it's whether graduates maintain the high-earning positions that make this certificate valuable.

This program gets students into well-paying roles quickly, but something appears to change between years one and four. Parents should ask the school directly about job placement specifics and whether graduates face barriers to sustaining those initial earnings levels. If your child plans to work full-time in nursing long-term, the first-year results are promising. Just understand that this program's graduates don't follow the typical upward earnings trajectory you'd hope to see.