Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Stark State College

Stark State's nursing program places graduates in the bottom 15th percentile nationally for earnings, yet sits right at the state median for debt—a combination that demands scrutiny. At $61,548 in first-year earnings, graduates earn roughly $7,000 less than the national nursing median and trail several Ohio community colleges by similar margins. When nearby Sinclair Community College's nursing graduates earn $69,403 and other in-state options consistently break $70,000, that gap represents real money over a career.

The debt load of $26,871 isn't outrageous by itself—it's actually near Ohio's median for nursing programs—but paired with below-average earnings, it creates a less favorable starting position than comparable programs. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 is manageable, and earnings do grow modestly to $64,869 by year four, but this growth only brings graduates closer to what peers at other schools earn right out of the gate.

For Ohio families, this is fundamentally a question of opportunity cost. Your child will become a licensed nurse and find work—nursing jobs are plentiful—but they'll likely start several thousand dollars behind graduates from programs with similar or lower costs. If Stark State offers geographic convenience or other compelling advantages, the program works. Otherwise, comparing offers from Sinclair, Mercy College, or other Ohio programs that consistently produce stronger early earnings makes financial sense, even if it means a slightly longer commute.