Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Southern State Community College

At $16,364 in debt for a certificate that generates first-year earnings around $43,200—based on the typical outcome across Ohio's 49 similar programs—Southern State's practical nursing program lands squarely in the middle of what's standard statewide. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38 means graduates would need less than five months of their gross income to cover what they borrowed, which is manageable for this field. By year four, earnings climb to $54,078, suggesting the credential opens doors to better-paying LPN positions or additional responsibilities over time.

The challenge here is that Southern State's outcomes appear to trail the stronger programs in Ohio by a meaningful margin. Cincinnati State's graduates earn roughly $53,900 in their first year—$10,000 more than the state median that Southern State's figures are estimated from. That gap compounds over time and could mean the difference between financial comfort and paycheck-to-paycheck living in the first few years after graduation.

For parents, this program represents a low-risk entry into healthcare: the debt burden is reasonable and the four-year earnings show clear growth. However, if your child can access one of Ohio's top-performing programs—particularly those in Cincinnati or Columbus—the earning advantage would quickly justify any additional commute or logistical complexity. Southern State works as a local option, but it may not be the best value among Ohio's 77 choices.