Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Peninsula College

In Washington state, practical nursing programs typically produce stronger first-year earnings than what Peninsula College's estimated $44,000 suggests. The state median sits at $51,000, with nearby Olympic College at $48,850 and Clover Park Technical College breaking $53,000. That $7,000 gap matters when you're carrying debt, even manageable debt like the estimated $13,671 here.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31 looks reasonable on paper—peer programs nationally carry similar burdens around $14,800. But context shifts the calculation: Washington's nursing job market pays better than the national average, so if this program truly performs closer to the national baseline rather than state norms, graduates might be leaving money on the table compared to other Washington options. With 29 programs across the state, it's worth asking why this one appears to lag behind when similar credentials at other public colleges in the region command higher starting salaries.

Since these figures are estimated from peer programs rather than Peninsula's actual graduate outcomes, directly compare this program to Olympic or Clover Park if geography allows. The nursing credential itself remains valuable—practical nurses find work—but maximizing that first-year salary makes a real difference when you're managing even modest debt loads.