Practical Nursing at Pennsylvania Institute of Technology

Media, PA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants

a compact campus enrolling 661 students in Media, PA.

Program Analysis

Pennsylvania Institute of Technology's Practical Nursing graduates start at $52,794/yr — above the $44,151 national average, though not by a wide margin.

With a 39.8x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 4% 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.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $14,750 in median debt clears fast against $52,794 in annual earnings.

A #288 ranking among 703 Practical Nursing programs places Pennsylvania Institute of Technology in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.

The limited growth from $52,794 to $57,020 over five years suggests earnings in this trade plateau relatively early in one's career.

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

70 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
70
Low End
70
Score
71
High End
Earnings $52,794/yr (20% vs median)
AI-Proof AI-Proof (82% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (258,500 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$577K
1.9% annual growth
Earnings Multiple
39.9x
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
$14,445
Median Debt at Graduation
$14,750
3.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$57,020
8% growth from Year 1

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 Pennsylvania Institute of Technology

Trade Certificate vs. Bachelor's Degree

Weigh shorter time-to-career against higher earning ceilings. The numbers tell the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a 70/100 TradeSchoolOutlook Score mean for Practical Nursing at Pennsylvania Institute of Technology?
At 70/100, 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 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 Pennsylvania Institute of Technology?
Median debt of just $14,750 against $52,794/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?
Practical Nursing connects to 2 apprenticeship pathways. These DOL-registered programs combine structured training with paid employment — a strong alternative for students who prefer hands-on learning over classroom instruction.
How many job openings are there for Practical Nursing graduates?
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 →