ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a associate's degree in Health/Medical Preparatory Programs worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 29 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$40,874 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
16.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−38%Estimated return after 10 years
$51,601Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$23,995
$8,000Current college-wide context−$39,995
$16,000Annual price−$55,995
$24,000Annual price−$71,995
$32,000Annual price−$87,995
$40,000Annual price−$103,995
Outcomes at a glance
$51,601Typical earnings four years after completion
$51,646Average earnings five years after completion
$13,997Typical federal student debt
58thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
28College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
How much do Health/Medical Preparatory Programs associate's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $51,601 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $13,997. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Health/Medical Preparatory Programs?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $46,551 to $59,338 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Health/Medical Preparatory Programs?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 1 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,743
- Federal debt
- $15,962
- Programs in the comparison
- 11
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $51,601
- Federal debt
- $13,997
- Programs in the comparison
- 29
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $62,585
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 59
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $49,699
- Federal debt
- $25,567
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $68,501
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
First Professional Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $135,372
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $72,581
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $94,327
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$46,551National median$51,60175th percentile$59,338
28 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
University of Alaska Anchorage
$90,501 four years after completionAnchorage, AK · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtMississippi Gulf Coast Community College
$6,528 among completer borrowersPerkinston, MS · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classTulsa Community College
275 reported awards in 2024–25Tulsa, OK · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$77,355Observed year-4 earnings$37,416
University of Alaska Anchorage$15,301 price · $90,501 earningsConnors State College$10,199 price · $80,132 earningsWharton County Junior College$4,666 price · $77,355 earningsRose State College$12,148 price · $73,548 earningsSkyline College$1,738 price · $67,805 earningsNortheastern Oklahoma A&M College$11,001 price · $62,140 earningsMount Saint Mary's University$21,413 price · $59,802 earningsNorthwest Vista College$4,525 price · $59,338 earningsGavilan College$6,542 price · $58,344 earningsAtlantic Cape Community College$8,392 price · $56,722 earningsAustin Community College District$6,390 price · $55,373 earningsDiablo Valley College$8,312 price · $54,934 earningsTulsa Community College$6,288 price · $52,465 earningsNorthern Oklahoma College$5,625 price · $51,679 earningsArkansas State University-Beebe$11,698 price · $51,522 earningsNortheast Community College$8,544 price · $50,127 earningsHoward College$6,147 price · $49,287 earningsPrairie State College$4,738 price · $48,709 earningsNorthwest Mississippi Community College$7,911 price · $48,468 earningsHill College$7,577 price · $47,531 earningsEssex County College$4,436 price · $46,812 earningsGeorgia Military College$16,923 price · $46,551 earningsGarden City Community College$8,244 price · $43,994 earningsThree Rivers College$8,496 price · $40,141 earningsMt Hood Community College$7,821 price · $39,432 earningsHolmes Community College$5,643 price · $37,416 earningsMississippi Gulf Coast Community College$6,962 price · $32,296 earnings
$4,436Annual college-wide average net price$15,301
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
29 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of Alaska Anchorage$90,5012Connors State College$80,1323Wharton County Junior College$77,3554Rose State College$73,5485Skyline College$67,8056Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College$62,1407Mount Saint Mary's University$59,8028Northwest Vista College$59,3389Gavilan College$58,34410Atlantic Cape Community College$56,722Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
NO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.