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

Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Upper Cumberland stands out for doing something rare in nursing education: delivering better-than-average outcomes at dramatically lower cost. At $6,398 in typical debt, students here graduate owing less than half the state median and roughly one-third the national average—ranking in the 95th percentile nationally for affordability.

The earnings picture is solid if not spectacular. First-year median earnings of $44,915 exceed both the national and state medians for practical nursing programs, placing graduates at the 60th percentile among Tennessee schools. While top Tennessee programs like TCAT Nashville push graduates above $51,000, the trade-off here is compelling: you're giving up roughly $6,000 in first-year earnings but saving over $3,000 in debt compared to the state median. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.14 means graduates can realistically pay off their entire debt in less than two months of gross earnings.

For families concerned about educational debt—and with 42% of students receiving Pell grants, many are—this program delivers practical nurse training with minimal financial risk. You're not getting the highest-earning outcomes in Tennessee, but you're getting reliable entry into a stable healthcare field without the debt burden that often accompanies it.