Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Pima Community College

This nursing program's estimated debt-to-earnings picture—$18,000 in debt against $52,000 in first-year earnings—looks manageable on its face, with a 0.35 ratio well below the 1.0 threshold that typically signals trouble. However, the Arizona context reveals a significant disconnect. Based on comparable programs nationally, Pima's graduates might earn around $52,000, but the only other reportable nursing program in the state—at Coconino Community College—shows actual earnings of just $37,000. That $15,000 gap suggests either that national benchmarks don't translate well to Arizona's healthcare labor market, or that outcomes for this specific credential vary wildly depending on where graduates work within the state.

The debt estimate of $18,000 sits slightly below the national median for similar programs, which is reasonable for an associate degree in healthcare. But if actual Arizona earnings track closer to Coconino's $37,000 rather than the national $52,000, that changes the calculation considerably—turning a comfortable debt load into one that would take longer to manage. Arizona's two-program sample is too thin to draw firm conclusions, but it does raise questions about whether Tucson's job market for LPNs and nursing assistants supports the kind of earnings seen elsewhere.

For parents, this means the investment hinges on factors the data can't fully answer: Does Tucson specifically offer better opportunities than rural Arizona? Will your child pursue further credentials? The estimated numbers suggest reasonable value, but Arizona's actual reported outcomes warrant a close look at local employer demand before committing.