Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Saint Louis Community College

Saint Louis Community College's nursing program outperforms Missouri's median by over $5,000 annually while keeping debt nearly $5,000 below the state average—a combination that places it in the 60th percentile statewide. At a 0.24 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates carry manageable debt loads, spending just three months of first-year salary to cover their entire borrowing. For Missouri families seeking nursing credentials, this represents solid value with lower financial risk than most in-state alternatives.

The earnings dip from $68,262 to $65,424 between years one and four deserves attention, though it's modest enough that it likely reflects workforce fluctuations rather than career trajectory problems. What matters more: even at year four, these graduates still earn above Missouri's median for nursing programs. The robust sample size confirms these aren't outlier results—this is what typical graduates actually experience.

For parents weighing community college nursing options in Missouri, this program delivers competitive starting salaries with below-average debt. It won't catapult your child to the top of nursing earnings, but it provides reliable entry to a stable profession without the debt burden that many other programs impose. That's exactly what a community college nursing program should do.