Practical Nursing at Madisonville Community College

Madisonville, KY · Public · Certificate · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants

a compact campus enrolling 1,797 students in Madisonville, KY.

Program Analysis

First-year earnings of $26,318 place Madisonville Community College below the $44,151 national median for Practical Nursing — worth weighing against tuition and cost of living.

With a 59.1x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 0% spread between best and worst-case AI scenarios signals strong resilience. Most careers in Practical Nursing involve physical, hands-on work that current AI cannot replicate.

With first-year pay of $26,318 far exceeding the $5,750 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.

A #627 ranking among 703 Practical Nursing programs places Madisonville Community College in the lower half. Price, proximity, and personal fit become the stronger arguments.

For students considering alternatives, 2 registered apprenticeship programs align with Practical Nursing careers — offering paid training instead of tuition costs.

61 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
60
Low End
61
Score
62
High End
Earnings $26,318/yr (-40% vs median)
AI-Proof AI-Proof (82% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (258,500 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$275K
1.0% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
59.1x
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 (In-State)
$4,656
Out-of-state: $6,192
Median Debt at Graduation
$5,750
2.6 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 Madisonville Community College

Explore the Degree Alternative

Not sure if a trade program or four-year degree fits better? Compare both paths.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Madisonville Community College's Practical Nursing program score?
This program scores 61/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Practical Nursing programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.
Will AI replace Practical Nursing jobs?
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 Madisonville Community College?
Median debt of just $5,750 against $26,318/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 you still earn well with Practical Nursing from Madisonville Community College?
Starting salary is one data point. If Madisonville Community College's tuition is significantly below average, the ROI calculation can still work — lower earnings paired with lower costs can be a reasonable trade.
What apprenticeship pathways exist for Practical Nursing graduates?
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?
With approximately 258,500 annual openings across mapped careers, Practical Nursing offers a very large employment pool. Physical trades tend to have steady demand driven by infrastructure and construction cycles.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →