Certificate (under 1 year)-11% vs national median771 grads tracked
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Heartland Community College
Ranked 103rd of 147 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$25,534
middle 50%: $19,456 – $32,125
Median · 5 years out
$34,214
middle 50%: $25,736 – $54,114
Median · 10 years out
$45,591
middle 50%: $31,146 – $69,798
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Practical Nursing graduates from this Illinois institution earn a median first-year salary of $26k. By year 10, earnings rise to $46k.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
12.2 yrs
≈ $15,364 total interest
Same major at other universities
Ogden-Weber Technical College
$35,319 · 5 yrs out
Rock Valley College
$35,122 · 5 yrs out
Otero College
$34,840 · 5 yrs out
Eastern Shore Community College
$34,840 · 5 yrs out
Orangeburg - Calhoun Technical College
$34,840 · 5 yrs out
Cedar Valley College
$34,630 · 5 yrs out
Lorain County Community College
$34,136 · 5 yrs out
Indian Hills Community College
$34,119 · 5 yrs out
Hawkeye Community College
$33,643 · 5 yrs out
North Iowa Area Community College
$33,569 · 5 yrs out
Uintah Basin Technical College
$33,536 · 5 yrs out
Illinois Valley Community College
$33,510 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Heartland Community College
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$87,772 · 5 yrs out
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$87,772 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$69,441 · 5 yrs out
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Associate)
$69,154 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$67,004 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$66,178 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Certificate)
$62,818 · 5 yrs out
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Certificate)
$61,566 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Certificate)
$61,446 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate)
$59,848 · 5 yrs out
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$54,051 · 5 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (Associate)
$51,252 · 5 yrs out
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