Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Southeastern Community College

Southeastern Community College's nursing program shows an unusual earnings trajectory that deserves careful consideration: graduates start at $65,328 but see their income drop to $60,005 by year four—an 8% decline during years when most nurses are building their careers. This places the program below North Carolina's median of $67,505, ranking in just the 40th percentile statewide. With 59 nursing programs across the state, that's a middling position, especially when nearby Robeson Community College's graduates earn $77,475.

The debt picture is more favorable—at $10,188, graduates borrow half the state median and just a fraction of the national average. That creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.16, meaning the first-year salary covers the debt more than six times over. For the 45% of students receiving Pell grants, this accessible entry point into nursing matters.

Here's the practical reality: you're looking at reliable nursing employment with minimal debt burden, but earnings that lag other North Carolina community colleges and actually decrease over time. For a student who needs to stay local in southeastern NC and wants to minimize borrowing, this accomplishes the goal of entering the nursing field. But families with geographic flexibility should compare carefully against the state's stronger-performing programs, where graduates earn $10,000-15,000 more annually with only modestly higher debt.