Is Howard College Worth It?

Howard College's financial picture depends almost entirely on which program you pick. The low debt at graduation,under $10,000 median,keeps risk down, but the median earnings ten years out sit around $38,000, which is modest and tells you the college-wide average hides a wide gap between programs.

Nursing is where the money is. The associate degree in registered nursing pays roughly $64,000 a year, and you carry about $12,000 in debt to get there,a ratio that pays off fast. Dental support services and allied health diagnostic programs land in the $47,000 to $60,000 range, so the health-care track is the clear reason to enroll here. Big Spring and the surrounding West Texas region lean on health-care jobs, and these associate credentials feed directly into them.

The certificate programs are weaker. Practical and vocational nursing certificates pay about $38,000, near the school-wide median, and the allied health certificate runs around $41,000. These get you working sooner with less debt, but the ceiling is lower than the associate degrees. If you can complete the two-year RN path instead of stopping at a certificate, the earnings difference is worth the extra time.

The main risk is the graduation rate: only about 36 percent finish. If you enroll and don't complete, you still owe for the time you spent, and the strong nursing salaries only apply if you graduate. Treat completion as the whole point of enrolling here.

Net price stays low across income levels, but it climbs as family income rises,families over $110,000 pay nearly double what families under $30,000 pay. For lower-income families, this is an affordable entry into a health-care career. If you're not aiming at nursing or allied health, the payoff here is thin, and you should look at what your specific program actually earns before committing.