Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at The Chicago School at Los Angeles

Here's a puzzling situation: graduates start strong at $76,643—well above the national median—but their earnings drop 15% by year four to $65,148. More troubling is the California context: while this program ranks in the 82nd percentile nationally, it lands in just the 25th percentile among California nursing programs, where the median is $97,457. You're paying significantly more ($35,353 in debt versus the state median of $15,625) to enter the bottom quarter of California's nursing market.

The debt burden itself isn't catastrophic at 0.46 times first-year earnings, but you're taking on more than twice the typical California nursing debt for significantly weaker outcomes. Top California programs like Unitek College and Yuba College show graduates earning $117,000-$120,000—nearly double what fourth-year graduates from this program earn. Even mid-tier California community colleges consistently produce stronger earnings trajectories.

For a Los Angeles family, this program only makes sense if California community colleges or CSU nursing programs aren't accessible options. The 61% Pell grant rate suggests the school serves students who may face barriers to traditional nursing pathways, but the state's 109 nursing programs include many community colleges with stronger earnings outcomes and minimal debt. Before committing $35,000 in loans, compare this directly to local community college nursing programs—the difference in outcomes could be worth the wait or additional admissions effort.