Somatic Bodywork at Academy of Natural Therapy Inc

At $18,343 in first-year earnings, Academy of Natural Therapy's bodywork certificate lands squarely at Colorado's median for this field—but that positioning tells only part of the story. While the program ranks in just the 30th percentile nationally, it actually performs better than half of in-state alternatives, which matters for students choosing among Colorado schools. The modest $7,917 in debt represents a meaningful advantage over the national median of $8,792, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 that's manageable even at these income levels.

The fundamental challenge here isn't the program—it's the field itself. Somatic bodywork careers typically generate under $20,000 annually, and this program's slight earnings decline from year one to year four ($18,343 to $18,002) reflects industry-wide income stagnation rather than program failure. With 50% of students receiving Pell grants, many are already working in adjacent fields and seeking credentials to formalize their practice rather than expecting dramatic income jumps.

For families viewing this as career preparation, understand that even top Colorado programs like the School of Healing Arts ($27,724) don't push earnings much beyond $30,000. This works as low-cost professional certification for someone already committed to bodywork, particularly given the relatively low debt load. But as a standalone path to middle-class earnings, the numbers simply don't support it—regardless of which program you choose.