Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas

Phillips Community College delivers first-year earnings of $78,213 for its nursing associates—substantially above both the Arkansas median of $67,036 and the national figure of $68,409. With estimated debt around $17,146 based on comparable Arkansas programs, you're looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.22, meaning graduates earn roughly $4.50 for every dollar borrowed. This compares favorably to the state median debt of $18,375 for nursing programs.

The earnings outcome here is particularly striking: it outperforms even Arkansas State's flagship nursing program and sits among the top-performing two-year nursing programs in the state. While the debt figure is an estimate rather than specific to Phillips graduates, it's drawn from similar Arkansas programs and suggests manageable borrowing for this earnings level. The actual debt for Phillips students could vary, but even at the higher end of typical community college nursing debt, the earnings would still cover it comfortably.

For parents weighing community college nursing options in Arkansas, this represents a strong value equation. The combination of strong first-year earnings and likely modest debt creates a favorable payoff timeline. The main uncertainty is whether individual students will match these earnings outcomes, which can vary with factors like shift differentials and employer type in nursing.