Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Virginia Beach City Public Schools School of Practical Nursing

A nursing assistant or LPN program that costs roughly $18,000 in debt deserves scrutiny, especially when similar two-year nursing programs nationally produce wide-ranging outcomes. The estimated first-year earnings of $51,744 align with the national median, suggesting typical performance, but that debt level approaches what you'd see at more expensive institutional settings—and for a practical nursing credential, every dollar of borrowing matters since these roles typically cap out at lower salary ceilings than RN positions.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 sits in a manageable zone, meaning graduates would theoretically spend about four months of gross income paying off their loans. But here's the practical reality: with only six schools offering this program in Virginia and none reporting public outcomes data, you're navigating without a clear map. The lack of reported data across Virginia's practical nursing programs makes it impossible to know whether this school's actual graduates do better or worse than the national pattern suggests.

For a parent, the question is whether $18,000 in debt makes sense when many LPN/practical nursing programs at community colleges run significantly cheaper. If your child is set on this specific program, get concrete answers from the school: actual job placement rates, where graduates work, and typical starting wages in the Virginia Beach area. Without reported outcomes, you're relying on estimates that may not reflect local healthcare market realities.