Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Pasadena City College

With estimated first-year earnings around $56,700 and debt near $18,200, this nursing program appears to track with California's median for similar credentials—a reasonable but not exceptional financial picture. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32 suggests graduates could theoretically pay off loans within four months of full-time work, positioning this as a relatively low-risk vocational pathway compared to many two-year programs.

What these estimates can't reveal is crucial: whether Pasadena City College's specific outcomes match, exceed, or lag behind comparable programs in the state. Several California schools with reported data—including Unitek College at $72,000 and Butte College at $65,000—show their nursing graduates earning substantially more in year one. Whether that gap reflects differences in program quality, clinical placement networks, or simply the types of nursing roles graduates pursue remains unclear without Pasadena's actual outcomes.

For families considering this program, the statewide benchmark suggests stable, above-minimum-wage employment in a field with genuine demand. But recognize you're making this investment without knowing if Pasadena's track record is strong, average, or weak within California's nursing education landscape. If other nearby programs can provide actual graduate earnings data, that transparency might justify choosing them—even at slightly higher cost—over this estimation-based picture.