Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Northeast Mississippi Community College

Northeast Mississippi Community College's practical nursing program offers a manageable entry point into healthcare, though graduates earn considerably less than both the national average and top programs within Mississippi. With starting earnings of $38,777 and debt around $12,178, the debt-to-first-year-earnings ratio of 0.31 means graduates owe roughly four months of income—a workable burden that most can handle on an LPN salary.

Here's the catch: this program ranks in just the 25th percentile nationally but the 60th percentile within Mississippi, revealing that nursing pay across the state runs below national norms. Graduates here earn about $4,000 less annually than their counterparts at Mississippi Delta or Hinds Community College, and earnings barely budge over the first four years. For a profession that typically offers steady income growth through experience and additional certifications, the flat earnings trajectory is noteworthy.

For families where $12,000 in debt is manageable and immediate healthcare employment matters most, this program provides reliable workforce entry—58% of students receive Pell grants, suggesting it serves working-class Mississippians well. However, if your child can access higher-performing programs like Mississippi Delta or Pearl River, the $4,000+ annual earnings difference would recoup any additional effort to attend within the first year. The value here is real but modest: affordable training that leads to steady, if below-average, nursing work.