Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Harriman

Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Harriman's practical nursing program leaves graduates earning about $6,000 less annually than the typical Tennessee nursing grad—a significant gap when the state median is already below the national benchmark. At $37,837 first-year, these earnings fall in just the 23rd percentile nationally and 40th percentile within Tennessee. Compare this to TCAT Nashville's graduates who earn $51,085, or even TCAT Athens at $46,871, and the difference becomes stark: we're talking about $9,000 to $13,000 in annual income that compounds over a career.

The program does keep debt manageable at $10,601, which is below the state median and translates to a reasonable 0.28 debt-to-earnings ratio. A graduate could theoretically pay this off within a year or two of focused budgeting. However, the lower debt doesn't offset the earnings disadvantage—other Tennessee technical colleges deliver both lower debt AND higher earnings, suggesting this isn't a necessary tradeoff.

For families considering practical nursing programs in Tennessee, this one ranks in the bottom half of state options. Unless geographic constraints make Harriman the only viable choice, your child would likely be better served at one of the higher-performing TCAT campuses where graduates enter the workforce earning $7,000-$13,000 more annually with similar or lower debt burdens.