Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Schoolcraft Community College District

Schoolcraft's nursing program delivers strong first-year earnings of $74,889—landing solidly above both the national and Michigan medians of roughly $68,400. With a debt load of $26,676 and a 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio, your child would owe about 4.3 months of their first year's salary, which is manageable for healthcare careers. The program ranks in the 60th percentile among Michigan nursing programs, meaning it outperforms about half of the state's options, though nearby Jackson College and Mid Michigan College do edge it out slightly on earnings.

The debt here runs a bit higher than typical—about $4,000 above the state median—but it's still reasonable given the strong starting salary. For context, nursing grads from this program enter the workforce earning more than three-quarters of nursing associate degree holders nationwide. Michigan's competitive nursing job market supports these wages well, and the robust sample size (100+ graduates) confirms these aren't statistical flukes.

Bottom line: This represents a solid community college nursing path with above-average outcomes and manageable debt. Your child would graduate earning roughly $6,500 more than the typical Michigan nursing associate degree holder right out of the gate, making the slightly elevated debt a worthwhile tradeoff for the stronger starting position.