Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Wenatchee Valley College

Nursing programs in Washington typically outperform the national average, making these estimates particularly uncertain for planning purposes. Similar programs across the state report median earnings around $51,000—about $7,000 higher than the national figure used here—while top technical colleges like Clover Park see their graduates earning over $53,000 in the first year. Without actual data from Wenatchee Valley College, it's impossible to know whether this program tracks closer to Washington's stronger outcomes or the more modest national baseline.

The estimated debt of $13,671 sits below both state and national medians for nursing certificates, which should translate to manageable monthly payments of around $150 on a standard repayment plan. That's workable on a practical nurse's salary, assuming earnings land anywhere near the estimates. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31 looks reasonable on paper, but hinges entirely on whether graduates actually achieve those Washington-level salaries or something closer to the national figure.

The real risk here is betting on a program with zero visibility into its actual outcomes. With 29 nursing programs in Washington to choose from—many with transparent, reported data—parents should seriously consider programs where you can see what graduates actually earn rather than relying on national proxies. If Wenatchee Valley College offers something unique like location convenience or specialized clinical partnerships, get specific employment data directly from the program before committing.