Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Pitt Community College

Pitt Community College's nursing graduates experience an unusual earnings trajectory that demands attention: they start at $67,366 but see their income drop to $60,233 by year four—an 11% decline that's the opposite of typical career progression. While the debt load is reasonable at $19,354 (manageable in under four months of first-year earnings), the income direction raises questions about career advancement or regional job market dynamics.

Within North Carolina's robust nursing landscape, this program sits in the 40th percentile for earnings—solidly middle-of-the-pack but notably behind top community college programs in the state. Robeson Community College graduates earn $77,475, roughly $10,000 more than Pitt's first-year average. The program's debt is actually higher than the state median of $14,725, which partially offsets the advantage of starting with manageable borrowing levels.

For parents, this becomes a calculation about location and alternatives. If your student can access one of North Carolina's higher-performing nursing programs without relocating significantly, the $10,000+ earnings difference compounds meaningfully over a career. However, if Pitt is the local option and your child can graduate with minimal debt beyond the median shown here, the reasonable debt-to-earnings ratio (0.29) still provides a viable entry point to nursing—just recognize you're not getting the stronger earnings trajectory available elsewhere in the state.