Human Services at American Baptist College

A debt load near $33,000 against first-year earnings around $36,600 creates a nearly 1:1 ratio that puts graduates on tighter financial footing than many four-year programs. While these figures are estimated from comparable Human Services bachelor's programs nationally, they suggest a challenging but not impossible debt burden—borrowers would need roughly their entire annual salary to clear this debt, which typically translates to manageable monthly payments but limited financial flexibility in those crucial early career years.

Tennessee's Human Services market appears less lucrative than the national average, with state programs reporting median earnings around $32,400 compared to the national $36,600. If American Baptist College graduates track closer to state norms, that would push the debt-to-earnings ratio above 1:0, making repayment notably more difficult. The college serves a predominantly Pell-eligible population (68%), meaning many students come from lower-income backgrounds where family financial support during loan repayment may be limited.

For families considering this path: Human Services work is meaningful but rarely high-paying in the early years. The debt estimate here is actually higher than Tennessee's state median of $23,900, which warrants careful attention to how much your student borrows. Keeping actual debt below these estimates—through grants, work-study, or community college transfers—would significantly improve the financial outcome.