Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Northeast Iowa Community College

Iowa's nursing associate degree programs cluster tightly around $61,500-$65,000 in first-year earnings, and Northeast Iowa Community College appears to land right in that pack based on comparable programs statewide. The estimated debt of $22,288 is manageable—roughly four months of first-year salary—making this a financially sound pathway into healthcare. That 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio sits comfortably below the threshold where loan repayment becomes burdensome.

The earnings trajectory here deserves attention. While similar Iowa programs suggest starting salaries around $61,500, this school reports actual earnings of $52,867 four years out—a puzzling dip that runs counter to typical nursing career progression. This could reflect graduates moving into lower-paid specialties, working part-time, or leaving the field entirely, though without more graduate-specific data it's hard to pinpoint the cause. The top nursing programs in Iowa maintain stronger earnings, with Iowa Western and Kirkwood graduates pulling in $3,000-$4,000 more right out of the gate.

For families weighing this investment, the debt burden shouldn't be a dealbreaker, but that four-year earnings figure raises questions about career outcomes that merit direct conversation with the school. Ask about job placement rates, where graduates land their first positions, and whether that mid-career dip is a data quirk or reflects something meaningful about graduate trajectories.