Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Sandusky Career Center

The small sample size here demands caution, but the pattern is troubling: Sandusky Career Center's nursing program produces earnings well below what students can find elsewhere in Ohio. At $35,013 in the first year, graduates earn about $8,200 less than the state median for practical nursing programs—landing in just the 25th percentile statewide. Meanwhile, the $20,120 in debt exceeds both state and national norms, creating a debt burden that takes over seven months of gross earnings to cover.

Compare this to Cincinnati State or the Fortis campuses, where similar programs produce first-year earnings around $50,000. That $15,000 difference isn't trivial for someone entering a field that typically serves as an economic stepping stone. The 14% earnings growth to year four suggests the career trajectory eventually improves, but starting this far behind the state median puts graduates at a real disadvantage, especially given that half the student body qualifies for Pell grants and likely has limited financial cushion.

For Ohio families, this looks like a case where location matters less than program quality. Unless there are compelling personal reasons to stay in Sandusky, your child would likely be better served by one of the stronger Ohio programs that deliver both lower debt and significantly higher starting salaries.