Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Stautzenberger College-Brecksville

With 77 nursing certificate programs operating in Ohio, Stautzenberger-Brecksville graduates start in the bottom half, earning around $39,300 in their first year—roughly $4,000 below the state median and $5,000 below the national benchmark. For context, comparable programs at nearby Cuyahoga Community College produce earnings near $49,000, while Central Ohio Technical College graduates typically reach $48,500. That's a meaningful gap for practical nursing credentials that should lead to similar career pathways.

The debt picture based on peer Ohio programs—an estimated $23,000—compounds the concern. While the 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio doesn't look catastrophic on paper, you're paying above-average debt for below-average earnings. Most nursing certificate programs in Ohio carry median debt around $16,000, and the national figure sits even lower at $14,800. For a program serving primarily Pell-eligible students (64%), that extra $6,000-8,000 in borrowing matters considerably.

The core issue here is opportunity cost. Your child could attend several other Ohio programs—including community colleges with lower tuition—and likely come out earning 20-25% more annually while carrying substantially less debt. Unless there's a compelling location or scheduling advantage specific to Stautzenberger, the numbers suggest looking at higher-performing alternatives within the state's competitive LPN landscape.