Health and Medical Administrative Services at Arkansas Tech University

A debt load near $27,000—based on what comparable bachelor's programs typically produce nationally—might seem manageable until you look at the earning power it buys. First-year earnings of $35,063 place this program in the bottom 5% nationally for health administration bachelor's degrees, where the typical graduate earns $44,345. That $9,000 gap compounds over time: while graduates elsewhere in the field move toward $50,000+, Arkansas Tech alumni start nearly 20% behind the national curve. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 isn't catastrophic, but it means nearly eight months of gross income going toward loans that financed a credential with below-average market value.

What complicates the picture is that $35,063 represents the median for all health administration programs in Arkansas, so Arkansas Tech isn't an outlier within the state—it's the state itself that lags behind. Healthcare administration roles exist here, but they clearly don't command the same compensation as in other markets. If your child plans to stay in Arkansas, this degree leads to predictable local outcomes. If they hope to compete for positions in stronger healthcare markets elsewhere, they'll be starting from a disadvantage against graduates whose programs better prepared them for higher-paying opportunities.

The practical question: is this specific program building skills that justify staying in a lower-wage market, or would your child be better served by a comparable degree from an institution in a state where healthcare administration pays closer to national norms?