Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Anne Arundel Community College

First-year earnings of $54,798 place this program right at the state and national medians for allied health associate degrees, but Anne Arundel Community College trails several Maryland competitors by significant margins. Howard Community College's graduates earn $72,633 in their first year—nearly $18,000 more—suggesting that program choice matters considerably even within the same state and credential. The estimated debt of $17,424, based on comparable Maryland programs, produces a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32, below both state and national debt medians.

What complicates this picture is that Anne Arundel's earnings are middling while top Maryland programs demonstrate substantially higher outcomes. The 13% earnings growth to $61,854 by year four is respectable but doesn't close the gap with stronger programs. For a two-year degree with estimated debt under $18,000, the financial risk remains relatively contained, but the opportunity cost becomes real when other community colleges in Maryland are producing allied health graduates who earn $15,000-$18,000 more annually from day one.

The takeaway: This program offers a low-debt pathway into allied health work, but parents should investigate why nearby community colleges achieve significantly better outcomes. Understanding whether those differences stem from program specialization, clinical partnerships, or employer networks could be worth the research before enrollment.