Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at St Cloud Technical and Community College

St Cloud Technical's practical nursing program charges significantly more in debt than most competitors while delivering below-average earnings. At $23,836, the debt burden is 26% higher than the state median and ranks in the 95th percentile nationally—meaning only 5% of nursing programs nationwide saddle students with more debt. Yet first-year earnings of $39,897 fall below both the Minnesota median ($42,896) and rank in just the 30th percentile nationally. Several Minnesota community colleges produce graduates earning $5,000-9,000 more annually with less debt.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60 means graduates start with debt equivalent to 60% of their first year's salary—manageable for nursing, but concerning given the weak earning potential. Earnings do grow modestly to $42,039 by year four, but this barely reaches what many comparable programs deliver immediately after graduation. With one-third of students receiving Pell grants, this cost-to-outcome gap hits families who can least afford it.

For Minnesota families, this represents a poor value proposition. Unless location is a critical factor, programs like Dakota County Technical or Lake Superior College offer substantially better financial outcomes. At minimum, parents should understand their child may graduate with more debt than necessary for earnings that lag state norms by several thousand dollars annually.