Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing

The estimated $8,000 debt burden here stands out immediately—it's less than half the national median of $19,404 for associate nursing programs and closely tracks what other programs at this hospital-based school typically produce. With first-year earnings from comparable programs landing around $51,744, graduates would face a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.15, meaning the entire loan could theoretically be repaid from three months of gross income. That's a fundamentally different financial picture than what most associate degree holders confront.

The earnings figure deserves scrutiny, though. It's derived from national programs, but New York's state median for this credential sits at just $25,034—less than half the national benchmark. This gap likely reflects differences in how states classify nursing roles and credential requirements. In New York, LPN positions (which this program trains for) may face wage compression or different licensing pathways than in states where these programs command higher salaries. The single comparable program in New York reporting data shows the lower state figure, not the national one.

For families, this means the debt picture looks genuinely manageable, but the earnings assumption needs ground-truthing. Before committing, verify what Samaritan's own graduates actually earn in the Capital Region healthcare market and whether local employers hire LPNs at rates closer to the state or national figures. The low debt makes this less risky than typical healthcare programs, but confirming realistic local wages will determine whether it's actually affordable.