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

The $8,000 debt load here is manageable, but Pima Medical Institute-Tucson's practical nursing graduates earn substantially less than those from nearby alternatives. At $28,834 in the first year, these graduates make roughly half what GateWay Community College grads earn ($60,620) and lag behind Pima Community College's output by over $18,000. While the program sits near Arizona's median for practical nursing, that's not a high bar—six other programs in the state deliver significantly better outcomes. The 23% earnings growth to year four is encouraging, yet even at $35,578, graduates remain well below what they could earn from stronger nursing programs.

The concerning element is the debt-to-earnings efficiency. Though $8,000 sounds modest, this program ranks in the 95th percentile nationally for debt—meaning 95% of practical nursing programs carry less debt burden. Combined with earnings in just the 5th percentile nationally, students are borrowing relatively more for outcomes that fall far short of the national norm. Nearly half of students here receive Pell grants, suggesting many families can't easily absorb even this "affordable" debt if earnings disappoint.

For families in Tucson, community college alternatives like Pima Community College offer better value with stronger earning potential. Unless location or scheduling constraints make those options impractical, this program's combination of below-average earnings and above-average debt makes it difficult to recommend over readily available local competitors.