Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Northcentral Technical College

Northcentral Technical College's practical nursing program starts graduates significantly behind their peers—earning $29,626 in the first year places them in just the 5th percentile nationally and 25th percentile within Wisconsin. That's $15,000 below the state median and nearly $18,000 below comparable programs at Herzing campuses across Wisconsin. While the debt load is relatively manageable at $9,554, you're borrowing nearly one-third of that first year's earnings.

The growth trajectory offers some relief: earnings jump 33% to $39,482 by year four, which narrows but doesn't close the gap with other Wisconsin programs. Even after four years, graduates still earn about $8,000 less annually than those from top-performing state programs. For context, this matters because most nursing certificate holders work locally—the Wisconsin market sets the ceiling for opportunity, and this program consistently underperforms it.

The low starting salary is the critical issue here. That first year often determines whether graduates can comfortably manage loan payments while covering living expenses. Given that stronger alternatives exist throughout Wisconsin at comparable debt levels, parents should ask hard questions about why this program's graduates earn so much less initially—whether it's employer perception, clinical placement networks, or preparation quality.