NON-CREDENTIAL PROGRAM (PREPARATORY COURSEWORK/TEACHER CERTIFICATION) · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a non-credential program (preparatory coursework/teacher certification) in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 9 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$51,791 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$51,791Median year-4 earnings
$7,788Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$51,791Typical earnings four years after completion
Not availableAverage earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
22thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
9College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
How much do Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants non-credential program (preparatory coursework/teacher certification) graduates earn?
The national median is $51,791 four years after completion across reportable non-credential program (preparatory coursework/teacher certification) programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $37,514 to $55,070 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 2 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,921
- Federal debt
- $14,912
- Programs in the comparison
- 862
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,035
- Federal debt
- $20,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 44
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $30,043
- Federal debt
- $15,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 6
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $50,497
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,791
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 9
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$37,514National median$51,79175th percentile$55,070
9 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$62,150Observed year-4 earnings$31,223
Chemeketa Community College$8,200 price · $95,202 earningsPasco-Hernando State College$5,203 price · $62,150 earningsPolk State College$9,427 price · $55,070 earningsValencia College$12,037 price · $54,862 earningsHillsborough College$3,861 price · $51,791 earningsNorth Iowa Area Community College$10,010 price · $37,818 earningsFresno City College$8,069 price · $37,514 earningsSalina Area Technical College$6,468 price · $34,637 earningsReedley College$6,814 price · $31,223 earnings
$3,861Annual college-wide average net price$10,010
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
9 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 9 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Chemeketa Community College$95,2022Pasco-Hernando State College$62,1503Polk State College$55,0704Valencia College$54,8625Hillsborough College$51,7916North Iowa Area Community College$37,8187Fresno City College$37,5148Salina Area Technical College$34,6379Reedley College$31,223Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400 median wage648,410 jobs nationwide+3.0% projected growth through 2035 · 51,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$49,740–$83,440 typical wage rangeNursing Assistants$42,260 median wage1,448,910 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 196,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$33,940–$51,980 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.