Health and Medical Administrative Services at Ashland Community and Technical College

The small sample size here demands caution, but the pattern is worrying: graduates earn $24,147 their first year—roughly $2,500 below Kentucky's median for this program and $3,600 below the national benchmark. That's meaningful money when you're already starting near $24,000 annually. The debt load of $14,700 matches Kentucky's typical level, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, but that ratio only looks manageable if earnings climb quickly. Compare this to Jefferson Community and Technical College, where graduates in the same program earn $36,397—over 50% more.

What makes this particularly challenging is Ashland's position at the 40th percentile statewide—solidly below median—while competitors like Sullivan University and several community colleges demonstrate this program can lead to significantly higher earnings. For a certificate program serving a largely Pell-eligible population (43%), every dollar of earnings potential matters for financial stability.

If Ashland is the only accessible option geographically, understand you're likely accepting lower earning potential than comparable Kentucky programs deliver. If Jefferson CTC or other alternatives are within reach, they're worth serious consideration given the substantial earnings gap. The small sample size means one exceptional cohort could skew results either way, but until more data proves otherwise, approach this program knowing graduates typically start well behind their Kentucky peers.