Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Salina Area Technical College

Salina Area Technical College's practical nursing program produces first-year earnings of $38,440—roughly $5,000 below the Kansas median and nearly $6,000 below the national average for this field. When Kansas nursing programs typically start graduates around $43,000, and top schools in the state like Donnelly College and Kansas City Kansas Community College see graduates earning $49,000+, this gap matters. The program ranks at the 40th percentile in Kansas, meaning six in ten similar programs statewide deliver better outcomes.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $17,124, graduates borrow modestly more than typical (about $2,500 above state and national medians), but the 0.45 debt-to-earnings ratio means you're looking at roughly five months of gross income to repay loans. That's manageable for a healthcare credential, though the lower starting salary means monthly payments will take a bigger bite of take-home pay than at higher-performing Kansas programs.

The critical caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so outcomes could shift significantly year to year. For parents comparing options, explore why this program underperforms the Kansas average by $5,000 annually—whether it's clinical placement support, employer connections, or pass rates on licensing exams. At this price point, programs like Hutchinson Community College offer similar debt loads with notably stronger earnings potential.