Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Professional Skills Institute

Professional Skills Institute graduates earn about $41,500 in their first year—roughly $2,000 below the state median for nursing programs and $7,000 behind the stronger Ohio programs like Cincinnati State. The estimated debt load of $22,945, based on similar Ohio certificate programs, pushes the debt-to-earnings ratio to 0.55, which means students would owe more than half their first year's salary. That's considerably higher than the typical $16,364 debt seen across Ohio nursing programs.

The earnings trajectory shows modest improvement, climbing to $48,579 by year four—a 17% gain that's respectable but doesn't dramatically change the financial picture. With 73% of students receiving Pell grants, the school serves a population where every debt dollar matters. The bigger concern is that comparable nursing programs in Ohio are producing better outcomes: the state median sits around $43,200, and programs like Cincinnati State and the Fortis campuses are getting graduates to nearly $50,000 right out of the gate.

For families weighing this option, the key question is whether the convenience or fit of Professional Skills Institute justifies accepting both lower earnings and higher debt than peer programs. Since the debt figure is estimated rather than school-specific, the actual burden could vary, but the earnings data is real—and it suggests this program struggles to compete with stronger alternatives across Ohio.