Practical Nursing · Dakota County Technical College
How much do Dakota County Technical College Practical Nursing graduates earn?
Dakota County Technical College's certificate graduates in Practical Nursing (LPN/LVN) earned a median $52,977 four years after graduating, 6% below the $56,073 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $48,973; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $9,500 in federal loans at this college (about $101 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $14,010 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level).
- Median earnings, 4 years after:
- $52,977
- National median, same program:
- $56,073
- Federal debt borrowed at this college (median):
- $9,500
- Monthly payment, 10-year plan:
- $101
Dakota County Technical College, certificate in Practical Nursing. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20; total including other colleges attended $14,010. College Scorecard, 10 June 2026.
Quick answers
- What do Practical Nursing graduates of Dakota County Technical College earn?
- Dakota County Technical College's certificate graduates in Practical Nursing earned a median $52,977 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How much federal debt do Practical Nursing graduates of Dakota County Technical College have?
- Graduates who borrowed took out a median $9,500 in federal loans at Dakota County Technical College (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20); counting federal loans from every college they attended at the same degree level, their total was $14,010.
- How does Dakota County Technical College compare with the national median for Practical Nursing?
- $52,977 is 6% below the $56,073 national median for certificate programs in the same field (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How does Dakota County Technical College compare with other Minnesota Practical Nursing programs?
- It is about the same as the $53,487 earned by graduates of the typical Minnesota certificate program in the field (15 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- Is a Practical Nursing degree from Dakota County Technical College worth it?
- Federal data cannot decide that for you, but it puts the figures side by side: Dakota County Technical College's certificate graduates in Practical Nursing earned a median $52,977 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23), and those who borrowed took out a median $9,500 in federal loans there, about $101 a month on a 10-year plan, roughly 2% of the median graduate's monthly earnings before tax (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Practical Nursing at Dakota County Technical College, by credential
One credential level has federal figures. Federal program group: Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (CIP 51.39), which includes its related specialties.
| Credential | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | vs national | Debt borrowed at this college | Total debt incl. other colleges | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 200 | $48,973 | $52,977 | −6% | $9,500 | $14,010 | $101/mo |
The one-year and four-year figures describe different graduating classes (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21 and 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23) in different dollars, so the gap between them is not one class's pay growth. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured.
What the two debt figures mean
Federal debt borrowed at this college: the median of the federal loans (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS) that graduates who borrowed took out at this college.
Total federal debt, including other colleges attended: the same graduates' federal loans from every college they attended, counting only loans at the same level as this credential (undergraduate loans for an undergraduate credential, graduate loans for a graduate one).
Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN. Monthly payment is for the debt borrowed at this college. Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation (September 2025), "Cumulative loan debt".
Cite this data
- Statistic
- Dakota County Technical College's certificate graduates in Practical Nursing earned a median $52,977 four years after graduating, against a national median of $56,073 for the same program and credential.
- Data period
- Graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19 who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled; earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars (136 graduates measured).
- Source
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data (release of 10 June 2026)
- Page
- https://campuspin.com/schools/dakota-county-technical-college/programs/practical-nursing
- Suggested citation
- CampusPin (2026). Dakota County Technical College Practical Nursing: graduate earnings and debt. Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study, 10 June 2026. https://campuspin.com/schools/dakota-county-technical-college/programs/practical-nursing
Or paste these figures into your page as a small table (departments, admissions, counselors)
Plain HTML with no script and no tracking: each credential's figure with its period and source, and one link back to this page.
How does Dakota County Technical College compare with other Minnesota Practical Nursing programs?
Across the 15 Minnesota certificate programs in Practical Nursing with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $53,487; Dakota County Technical College's $52,977 is about the same as that.
| College (undergraduate certificate) | Earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota West Community and Technical College | $69,014 | — | — |
| Lake Superior College | $65,039 | $47,190 | $11,288 |
| Northland Community and Technical College | $63,967 | $44,017 | $12,250 |
| Minnesota State Community and Technical College | $59,866 | $39,109 | $13,000 |
| Alexandria Technical & Community College | $55,989 | $38,862 | $7,464 |
| Minnesota North College | $55,856 | $41,300 | — |
| St Cloud Technical and Community College | $54,132 | $39,897 | $15,623 |
| Pine Technical & Community College | $53,487 | $37,690 | $11,064 |
| Dakota County Technical College (this college) | $52,977 | $48,973 | $9,500 |
| Rochester Community and Technical College | $52,915 | $42,200 | $19,250 |
The 10 highest of 15 Minnesota programs, ordered by one federal measure (median earnings four years after graduating), not a ranking of program quality. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed.
Every Practical Nursing program in Minnesota. Compare Practical Nursing programs and share the result
Questions about Practical Nursing at Dakota County Technical College
- How much do Dakota County Technical College Practical Nursing graduates earn?
- Dakota County Technical College's certificate graduates in Practical Nursing (LPN/LVN) earned a median $52,977 four years after graduating, 6% below the $56,073 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $48,973; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $9,500 in federal loans at this college (about $101 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $14,010 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level).
- How much student debt do Dakota County Technical College Practical Nursing graduates have?
- Dakota County Technical College's certificate graduates in Practical Nursing who borrowed took out a median $9,500 in federal loans at Dakota County Technical College, about $101 a month on a standard 10-year plan (graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20, College Scorecard). Counting federal loans from every college they attended at the same degree level, their total was a median $14,010; the difference is loans taken at earlier colleges, which matters most for transfer and RN-to-BSN students. Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN.
- How does Dakota County Technical College's Practical Nursing program compare with others in Minnesota?
- Across the 15 Minnesota certificate programs in Practical Nursing with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $53,487; Dakota County Technical College's $52,977 is about the same as that.
Keep going
- Dakota County Technical College: cost, admissions and every program
- Practical Nursing major guide: what it pays nationally
- Same degree, different paycheck: how much the college matters
- What does Practical Nursing pay at other colleges?
Jobs Practical Nursing graduates often go into
From the Practical Nursingmajor guide. Graduates spread across many jobs; these pay figures are for everyone in the job, not for this program's graduates.
Other programs at Dakota County Technical College with graduate earnings
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Earnings reflect who enrolls, where graduates live and the jobs they take, as well as the program itself. Download every program (CSV).
Data sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the Department of Education's College Scorecard field-of-study file, matched to Dakota County Technical College by its federal UNITID.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
Program-level median earnings one and four years after completing, and median federal loan debt at completion, by institution, 4-digit CIP field and credential level.
College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation
How the field-of-study cohorts are built, which graduates are counted, and how small cells are suppressed and perturbed for privacy.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (10 June 2026). Dakota County Technical College Practical Nursing: graduate earnings and debt. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/dakota-county-technical-college/programs/practical-nursing