Central Lakes College-Brainerd
Brainerd, MN, United States
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
Central Lakes College-Brainerd has 16 programs with reported graduate earnings. The highest is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (associate), where graduates earn a median $77,488 four years after finishing, against $79,943 for the same field nationally.
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Median earnings
$46,663
Former students who received federal aid
Source: U.S. College Scorecard, field of study, 2025
Median earnings of graduates who received federal aid, one and four years after finishing, and the median federal loan debt they borrowed at Central Lakes College-Brainerd. The field median is the middle value for the same field and credential across every college that reports it. 60 more programs have too few graduates for earnings to be published.
Highest-earning programs
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 82 | $68,905 | $77,488 | $79,9433% below | $17,450 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | 9 | $60,993 | N/A | $64,8906% below | N/A |
| Precision Metal Working | 11 | N/A | $60,088 | $58,6402% above | N/A |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 11 | $58,072 | $57,688 | $47,30622% above | N/A |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 1 | N/A | $57,304 | $52,09010% above | N/A |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 6 | $55,701 | N/A | $48,74714% above | N/A |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 14 | $44,590 | N/A | $65,26332% below | N/A |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 333 | $34,275 | $43,480 | $42,7742% above | $11,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 13 | N/A | $37,753 | $49,32323% below | N/A |
| Program | Graduates | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | Field median | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground Transportation | 48 | $62,827 | $69,894 | $50,38139% above | $9,500 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | 35 | N/A | $58,487 | $56,8213% above | $9,500 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 20 | $56,361 | $56,063 | $58,7725% below | N/A |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | 37 | $50,611 | $55,966 | $50,59311% above | $5,500 |
| Precision Metal Working | 36 | $49,087 | $55,654 | $49,10013% above | $5,500 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 24 | $42,804 | $39,717 | $36,7488% above | $5,635 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | 0 | N/A | $37,117 | $36,7761% above | N/A |
Careers linked to the programs Central Lakes College-Brainerd reports, highest national median pay first. Pay and outlook are BLS figures for the whole occupation, not for this college's graduates.
Healthcare practitioners
Master's degree
Via Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Business/Commerce, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and 1 more
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Business/Commerce, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations and 1 more
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management and 1 more
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Engineering, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations
Management
Bachelor's degree
Via Engineering, General, Business Administration, Management and Operations
Every field of study, with the colleges that offer it and what graduates earn.
Programs A–ZVerified facts
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Bars show profile closeness out of 100: how near each college's graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control are to Central Lakes College-Brainerd. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later card can score higher.
Riverland Community College
Austin, MN
Graduation rate 42%, close to 48%
Profile closeness81/100
Anoka Technical College
Anoka, MN
Graduation rate 46%, close to 48%
Profile closeness81/100
Ridgewater College
Willmar, MN
Graduation rate 45%, close to 48%
Profile closeness77/100
Northland Community and Technical College
Thief River Falls, MN
Graduation rate 43%, close to 48%
Profile closeness77/100
Hibbing Community College
Hibbing, MN
Graduation rate 43%, close to 48%
Profile closeness75/100
Dakota County Technical College
Rosemount, MN
Graduation rate 54%, close to 48%
Profile closeness74/100
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Fergus Falls, MN
Graduation rate 44%, close to 48%
Profile closeness73/100
Mesabi Range College
Virginia, MN
Same Carnegie classification
Profile closeness72/100
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