Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Arkansas State University Mid-South

Based on comparable health sciences certificate programs in Arkansas, students here typically face around $14,000 in debt for credentials that lead to first-year earnings near $40,000. That 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests a manageable debt load—roughly a third of first-year income—which is reasonable for a short-term credential. However, the wide range among Arkansas programs reveals how much your outcomes depend on the specific healthcare specialty you pursue.

The earnings estimate comes from five Arkansas programs in this field, where outcomes span from $28,000 to over $52,000 in the first year. Arkansas State University Mid-South falls in the middle of this pack, matching the state median but trailing programs like NorthWest Arkansas Community College and East Arkansas Community College by about $12,000 annually. This spread matters: it's the difference between earning enough to comfortably handle your debt versus needing several years to get financially stable. The type of allied health credential—medical assistant versus surgical tech versus respiratory therapist, for example—drives much of this variation.

With 36% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are weighing limited budgets against career training. The debt level itself isn't alarming for a certificate program, but before committing, determine exactly which healthcare credential this program offers and research typical salaries for that specific role in the Memphis metro area. A certificate that launches you into the higher-earning specialties justifies the investment; one in a lower-demand field might leave you struggling with debt on a modest income.