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. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find where practical nursing assistants graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose practical nursing assistants graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in practical nursing assistants, no school beat Lake Area Technical Institute this year. Located in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a public institution. After graduating, practical nursing assistants degree recipients from Lake Area Technical Institute typically earn about $49,276 annually.
Western Dakota Technical Institute produces some of the highest-paid graduates in practical nursing assistants, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Rapid City, Western Dakota Technical Institute is a public institution. Students who complete the practical nursing assistants program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,734.
Students chasing top earnings in practical nursing assistants will find them at Southeast Technical Institute, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a public institution. Students who complete the practical nursing assistants program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,722.
Mitchell Technical Institute came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying practical nursing assistants schools. Located in the town of Mitchell, Mitchell Technical Institute is a public institution. After graduating, practical nursing assistants degree recipients from Mitchell Technical Institute typically earn about $38,287 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their practical nursing assistants graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 4 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.