Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Tri-Rivers Career Center

With a starting salary just over $66,000 and manageable debt around $26,000, Tri-Rivers Career Center's nursing program hits the practical sweet spot for healthcare education—graduates can cover their debt load in well under a year. The 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio means students are leaving with reasonable financial obligations given the reliable income nursing provides. That said, these graduates are earning slightly below both the state median ($66,676) and rank in the 40th percentile among Ohio nursing programs, meaning six out of ten comparable programs in the state produce higher-earning nurses.

The gap between Tri-Rivers and Ohio's top-performing programs is meaningful—schools like Ohio Institute of Allied Health ($74,851) and Ohio Medical Career College ($71,666) show starting salaries $5,000-$8,000 higher. For a career as stable as nursing, that difference compounds significantly over time. However, Tri-Rivers keeps debt lower than average (29th percentile nationally), which partially offsets the earnings shortfall.

For families prioritizing affordability and a clear path to middle-class income, this program delivers solid fundamentals without standout performance. The immediate employability and reasonable debt load make it workable, but prospective students should compare outcomes at nearby programs—sometimes a slightly higher upfront investment yields notably better long-term returns in nursing careers.