Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Ross College-Canton

Ross College-Canton's LPN program shows graduates earning slightly above the Ohio median initially, but those earnings slip backward rather than growing—dropping to $41,465 by year four. Among Ohio's 77 practical nursing programs, this ranks in the 60th percentile for starting pay, which places it in the middle tier but notably behind top performers like Cincinnati State ($53,908) or the Fortis campuses (nearly $50,000).

The manageable debt of $15,575 keeps this program accessible, particularly for the 82% of students receiving Pell grants. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35, graduates can realistically handle repayment—you're looking at roughly four months of gross income to cover the total cost. That's a reasonable financial starting point for a quick-entry healthcare credential.

The concern is the earnings trajectory. While LPN salaries don't typically surge like some healthcare fields, a 7% decline suggests graduates may face challenges advancing or securing full-time hours as they gain experience. For a student who needs immediate employment in nursing and plans to potentially bridge to an RN program later, this works. But if the goal is stable, growing earnings as an LPN, the stronger Ohio programs offer $5,000-$10,000 more annually right from the start—a meaningful difference that compounds over time.