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Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration at Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, CA · Public · Associate Degree · Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

with 22,011 students enrolled in Santa Ana, CA.

Program Analysis

Graduates of Santa Ana College's Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration program earn $98,493/yr in their first year — 42% above the $69,474 national median, a strong market signal for this institution.

The 450.8x 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.

AI risk is moderate — 39% task exposure — and the 3% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook for Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration graduates.

At $10,500 in median debt against $98,493 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance quickly — a hallmark of affordable trade programs.

Ranked #30 out of 947 programs, Santa Ana College's Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration connects to 4 apprenticeship options. The earn-while-you-learn model can be a strong alternative or complement to a certificate program.

TradeSchoolOutlook Score

Low End

Score

High End

Earnings $98,493/yr (42% vs median)

AI-Proof Moderate (61% shielded)

Job Market Very Large (292,500 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Year 1 Earnings

$98K

Reported median after graduation

Earnings Multiple (In-State)

451.7x

10-year earnings ÷ tuition

Viable Career Paths

6 of 6

Occupations with strong AI resilience

Program Tuition (In-State)

$2,360

Out-of-state: $18,920

Median Debt at Graduation

$10,500

1.3 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$90,501

Small cohort — data may not reflect typical outcomes

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration graduates by median salary.

Career Path	Median Salary	Growth	AI-ProofAI
Nurse anesthetists	$223,210	+8.6%	83%
Nurse practitioners	$129,210	+40.1%	52%
Nurse midwives	$128,790	+11.1%	61%

Nurse anesthetists

$223,210

+8.6% growth 83% AI-proof

Nurse practitioners

$129,210

+40.1% growth 52% AI-proof

Nurse midwives

$128,790

+11.1% growth 61% AI-proof

View all 6 career paths with full salary data →

About Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration Careers

Your career begins on the front lines as a Registered Nurse. You’ll work in fast-paced hospitals or clinics, monitoring patient vitals on EKG machines, administering medications, and updating electronic health records. After gaining experience, your path can branch. You might pursue advanced clinical practice to become a Nurse Practitioner, where you’ll diagnose conditions, prescribe treatments, and manage your own patient caseload. Alternatively, you could move into leadership as a Health Services Manager, where your day involves managing staff schedules, overseeing budgets, and ensuring your department runs smoothly.

Read the full Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration career guide →

Compare & Explore

Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration Overview

Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration at Other Schools

Other Majors at Santa Ana College

Considering a 4-Year Degree Instead?

Compare how bachelor's degree graduates fare on earnings, ROI, and AI resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolOutlook Score for Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration at Santa Ana College?

At 91/100, this is a high-performing trade program. The TradeSchoolOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.

Will AI affect Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration careers?

With 39% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $1,030,454 in decade earnings vs $1,065,983 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.

What's the typical debt for Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration graduates from Santa Ana College?

Median debt of just $10,500 against $98,493/yr in starting salary means graduates can clear their loans in under 1 months. This is one of the more affordable paths in our dataset.

Is Santa Ana College one of the best schools for Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration?

The #30 ranking out of 947 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable, and the job market supports this trade.

Can I learn Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration through an apprenticeship instead?

Yes — 4 registered apprenticeship programs are mapped to Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration career paths, including Home Health Director. Apprenticeships offer paid on-the-job training as an alternative or complement to certificate programs.

Is there demand for Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration workers?

The career paths mapped to Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration have roughly 292,500 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 →