Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Pima Medical Institute-Mesa

At $8,000 in debt for a certificate that leads to $28,834 in first-year earnings, Pima Medical Institute-Mesa keeps borrowing manageable—but the earnings themselves are alarmingly low. This program lands in the 5th percentile nationally, meaning 95% of similar nursing assistant programs produce better outcomes. Even within Arizona, where nursing assistant wages run below the national average, this ranks only at the 40th percentile. Students at GateWay Community College, just 20 miles away, earn more than double ($60,620) in their first year.

The 23% earnings growth to $35,578 by year four offers some improvement, but graduates still trail far behind what they could earn elsewhere. The modest debt load is this program's only advantage—at half the national median, students won't face crushing payments. However, the low absolute earnings mean that even manageable debt takes a bite: graduates earn roughly $15,000 less annually than the national median for their field.

For families considering this program, the math is straightforward: better-performing Arizona nursing programs exist at similar or lower cost. With 46% of students receiving Pell grants, many here are counting on these credentials to change their economic trajectory. Given that community colleges in the region deliver substantially stronger outcomes, exploring those alternatives should be the first step.