Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Ozarks Technical Community College

Among Missouri's nursing programs, Ozarks Technical sits squarely in the middle—40th percentile statewide—but that middle ground becomes less comfortable when you look at what happens after graduation. While new graduates earn a respectable $61,192, their earnings actually decline to $58,699 by year four, a pattern that diverges from the typical nursing career trajectory. Compare this to nearby alternatives: St. Charles Community College and Saint Louis Community College both start graduates around $68,000 with far better long-term prospects.

The $18,250 debt load is manageable in absolute terms—lower than both state and national medians—which provides some cushion against the earnings plateau. For a family focused purely on minimizing debt while getting nursing credentials, this program achieves that goal. However, the $7,000-10,000 earnings gap compared to top Missouri programs compounds over time, potentially costing tens of thousands in career earnings.

If Ozarks Technical is your only local option or if avoiding debt is the paramount concern, this program will get your child employed as an RN without financial devastation. But if commuting to St. Louis or St. Charles is feasible, those extra miles translate to meaningfully better earnings right out of the gate. The declining earnings pattern here suggests graduates may be hitting a ceiling that their peers at stronger programs don't encounter.