Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Tulsa Community College

Tulsa Community College graduates hit the ground running with $68,544 earnings right after finishing their nursing degree—matching the state median exactly and landing at the national average. That's solid. But here's what matters more for your wallet: at $24,700, the debt load sits about $3,000 above both state and national medians for nursing programs, meaning you're borrowing slightly more for comparable starting pay. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36 remains manageable—you'd expect to earn roughly three times what you borrowed in that first year—but several other Oklahoma programs get graduates to similar or better outcomes with less debt.

The slight earnings dip by year four (down to $66,782) isn't necessarily alarming for nursing, where pay can fluctuate based on shift differentials, specialization choices, and work setting changes. With robust data from 100+ graduates, these numbers are reliable indicators. Among Oklahoma's 15 nursing programs, TCC ranks in the 60th percentile—squarely middle-of-the-pack. Programs like Rose State and Connors State show meaningfully higher earnings trajectories, suggesting where you attend in Oklahoma actually does matter for nursing outcomes.

For families focused on minimizing debt while entering a stable healthcare career, this program works—nursing jobs are plentiful and the debt is payable. But if you're comparing Oklahoma schools specifically, it's worth checking whether those higher-ranked programs are accessible before committing here.