Practical Nursing
Practical Nursing graduates earn an average annual wage of $108,739, making it one of the higher-paying degree fields. With 21,750 professionals in the field earning competitive wages, this degree offers strong career prospects.
Key Statistics
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Practical Nursing and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$5,484 Median In-State Public
$23,584 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Practical Nursing majors are, on average, $5,484 for in-state public colleges, and $23,584 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Practical Nursing programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Practical Nursing from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Practical Nursing.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale | FL | 17,370 |
| 2 | Victor Valley College | CA | 12,107 |
| 3 | Seattle University | WA | 4,117 |
| 4 | Roxbury Community College | MA | 1,583 |
| 5 | Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg | FL | 1,421 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Practical Nursing programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victor Valley College | CA | $1,425 |
| 2 | Blackfeet Community College | MT | $3,610 |
| 3 | Ridge Technical College | FL | $3,918 |
| 4 | Northwest Technical Institute | AR | $5,184 |
| 5 | Roxbury Community College | MA | $5,784 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Practical Nursing programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cabell County Career Technology Center | WV | $869 |
| 2 | Victor Valley College | CA | $3,228 |
| 3 | North Florida Technical College | FL | $4,736 |
| 4 | Osceola Technical College | FL | $5,420 |
| 5 | Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Shelbyville | TN | $5,443 |
Schools with the lowest net price (after financial aid) for Practical Nursing programs.
Graduation Rates
62.99% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
61.35% Average Graduation Rate
165 Institutions Reporting
49.65% - 74.29% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Practical Nursing programs across institutions.
Employment
Information on the businesses and industries that employ Practical Nursing graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$108,739 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Practical Nursing majors is $108,739.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Practical Nursing majors.
Occupations by Share
21,750 2023 Workforce
The number of Practical Nursing graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Practical Nursing by share of the total number of graduates.
Return on Investment & Value
Financial analysis of Practical Nursing degree including debt, earnings, and return on investment metrics.
Financial Value Analysis
ROI data is not available for this degree program.
Financial value comparison for Practical Nursing degree.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Practical Nursing in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Practical Nursing.
Age distribution for Practical Nursing degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
994,689 Total Degrees Awarded
177,781 Male (17.87%)
816,908 Female (82.13%)
Gender distribution of Practical Nursing degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
474,527 White (47.71%)
189,467 Hispanic or Latino (19.05%)
150,400 Black or African American (15.12%)
74,418 Asian (7.48%)
33,393 Two or More Races (3.36%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Practical Nursing degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Practical Nursing are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Practical Nursing.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Practical Nursing field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Practical Nursing majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Practical Nursing majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Practical Nursing majors.
About
Practical Nursing
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Practical Nursing.
CIP Code
51.5116 - Practical Nursing
Insights and Analysis
High Earning Potential: Practical Nursing graduates earn an average annual wage of $108,739, placing them among the top earners in the workforce. This strong earning potential reflects both the demand for skills in this field and the value employers place on this degree.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.