Practical Nursing at Northland Community and Technical College

Thief River Falls, MN · Public · Certificate · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants

a compact campus enrolling 1,382 students in Thief River Falls, MN.

Program Analysis

At $44,017/yr, Practical Nursing graduates from Northland Community and Technical College land near the $44,151 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 73.5x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. Trade programs often deliver strong ratios, and this one is a standout.

With only 18% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, the scenario spread is tight at 0%. Career paths for Practical Nursing are among the more automation-resistant trades we analyze.

The median debt load of $12,250 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios in vocational education.

Ranked #193 out of 703 programs, Northland Community and Technical College's Practical Nursing offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

Practical Nursing connects to 2 apprenticeship options. The earn-while-you-learn model can be a strong alternative or complement to a certificate program.

75 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
74
Low End
75
Score
76
High End
Earnings $44,017/yr (-0% vs median)
AI-Proof AI-Proof (82% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (258,500 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$461K
1.0% annual growth
Earnings Multiple
73.5x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
2 of 2
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition
$6,262
Median Debt at Graduation
$12,250
3.3 months of Year 1 earnings

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Practical Nursing graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses $62,340 +2.6% 75%
Nursing assistants $39,530 +2.3% 90%
Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
$62,340
+2.6% growth 75% AI-proof
Nursing assistants
$39,530
+2.3% growth 90% AI-proof

About Practical Nursing Careers

Your career begins on the front lines of patient care as a nursing assistant. In a hospital or long-term care facility, your active days will be spent helping patients with essential tasks like bathing, eating, and moving safely. You’ll be a vital part of the medical team, taking blood pressure and temperature and serving as the eyes and ears for the supervising nurses.

Read the full Practical Nursing career guide →

Compare & Explore

Practical Nursing Overview

Practical Nursing at Other Schools

Other Majors at Northland Community and Technical College

How Does a Bachelor's Degree Compare?

Four-year programs take longer but may unlock different career trajectories. See the data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Northland Community and Technical College's Practical Nursing program score?
A score of 75/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Northland Community and Technical College's Practical Nursing graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How safe is Practical Nursing from automation?
Highly resilient. Practical Nursing careers are fundamentally hands-on — they require physical presence and manual skill that AI cannot replicate. Graduates retain 2 of 2 viable career paths even under conservative assumptions.
What's the typical debt for Practical Nursing graduates from Northland Community and Technical College?
Median debt of just $12,250 against $44,017/yr in starting salary means graduates can clear their loans in under 3 months. This is one of the more affordable paths in our dataset.
Can I learn Practical Nursing through an apprenticeship instead?
Yes — 2 registered apprenticeship programs are mapped to Practical Nursing career paths, including Nurse, Licensed Practical. Apprenticeships offer paid on-the-job training as an alternative or complement to certificate programs.
Is there demand for Practical Nursing workers?
The career paths mapped to Practical Nursing have roughly 258,500 combined annual openings nationally, making this a very large job market. Trade careers in this field benefit from consistent replacement demand as workers retire.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →