Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Southeastern Illinois College

Similar practical nursing programs in Illinois typically produce first-year earnings around $43,000 with median debt near $9,400—a manageable 0.22 debt-to-earnings ratio that suggests graduates can reasonably handle their loan payments. That estimated debt level sits notably below the national median of $14,803 for nursing assistant and practical nursing certificates, which matters when you're entering a field with predictable but modest starting salaries.

The challenge here is that actual outcomes at Southeastern Illinois College remain unknown due to small graduate cohorts. While the state median provides a reasonable baseline, top-performing Illinois programs demonstrate there's significant variation in this field—some schools report first-year earnings exceeding $63,000, nearly 50% higher than the state average. Geography plays a role (nurses in Chicago-area hospitals typically earn more than those in rural southern Illinois), but program quality and clinical placement networks matter too.

For families in the Harrisburg area seeking an accessible entry point to healthcare, the estimated debt burden appears reasonable. However, you're making this decision with limited visibility into how Southeastern Illinois College's specific graduates fare compared to state peers. If proximity isn't the driving factor, consider requesting job placement rates and employer partnerships directly from the program, or look at nearby alternatives with transparent outcome data.