by our College Data Analytics Team
[Practical Nursing Assistants](/majors/health-care-professions/practical-nursing-assistants/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a practical nursing assistants degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the early-career earnings of their practical nursing assistants graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send practical nursing assistants graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Vance Granville Community College earned the #1 spot for highest-paid practical nursing assistants graduates in North Carolina. Vance Granville Community College is a public school located in the town of Henderson. After graduating, practical nursing assistants degree recipients from Vance Granville Community College typically earn about $62,202 annually.
Mcdowell Technical Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in practical nursing assistants, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Marion, Mcdowell Technical Community College is a public institution. After graduating, practical nursing assistants degree recipients from Mcdowell Technical Community College typically earn about $53,372 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in practical nursing assistants will find them at Isothermal Community College, which ranked #3. Isothermal Community College is a public school located in the town of Spindale. Students who complete the practical nursing assistants program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,685.
Fayetteville Technical Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in practical nursing assistants, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Technical Community College is a public institution. Practical Nursing Assistants graduates of Fayetteville Technical Community College earn a median of about $56,519 a year early in their careers.
Forsyth Technical Community College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in practical nursing assistants, landing the #5 spot this year. Forsyth Technical Community College is a public school located in the city of Winston-Salem. Students who complete the practical nursing assistants program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,441.
Gaston College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying practical nursing assistants schools. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Gaston College is a public institution. Students who complete the practical nursing assistants program here go on to a median salary of roughly $59,459.
Rockingham Community College landed the #7 spot for practical nursing assistants salaries this year. Located in the rural area of Wentworth, Rockingham Community College is a public institution. Practical Nursing Assistants graduates of Rockingham Community College earn a median of about $44,539 a year early in their careers.
Montgomery Community College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying practical nursing assistants schools. Montgomery Community College is a public school located in the rural area of Troy. After graduating, practical nursing assistants degree recipients from Montgomery Community College typically earn about $48,011 annually.
Brunswick Community College placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for practical nursing assistants. Set in the rural area of Bolivia, Brunswick Community College is a public institution. Students who complete the practical nursing assistants program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,783.
Durham Technical Community College placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for practical nursing assistants. Set in the city of Durham, Durham Technical Community College is a public institution. Early-career practical nursing assistants graduates from Durham Technical Community College make a median of around $46,533 per year.
Central Carolina Community College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying practical nursing assistants schools. Set in the town of Sanford, Central Carolina Community College is a public institution. After graduating, practical nursing assistants degree recipients from Central Carolina Community College typically earn about $44,323 annually.
Richmond Community College placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for practical nursing assistants. Located in the town of Hamlet, Richmond Community College is a public institution. Practical Nursing Assistants graduates of Richmond Community College earn a median of about $42,826 a year early in their careers.
Robeson Community College came in at #13 for practical nursing assistants graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Lumberton, Robeson Community College is a public institution. Practical Nursing Assistants graduates of Robeson Community College earn a median of about $42,123 a year early in their careers.
Sampson Community College placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for practical nursing assistants. Sampson Community College is a public school located in the town of Clinton. Students who complete the practical nursing assistants program here go on to a median salary of roughly $40,257.
Coastal Carolina Community College placed #15 among the highest-paying schools for practical nursing assistants. Set in the city of Jacksonville, Coastal Carolina Community College is a public institution. Practical Nursing Assistants graduates of Coastal Carolina Community College earn a median of about $38,441 a year early in their careers.
Bladen Community College ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying practical nursing assistants schools. Bladen Community College is a public school located in the rural area of Dublin. After graduating, practical nursing assistants degree recipients from Bladen Community College typically earn about $36,396 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries practical nursing assistants graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 16 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.