Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Bethel University

The $35,000 starting salary estimated for Bethel's health sciences bachelor's suggests this program aligns with national norms, but falls well above what Tennessee graduates typically earn in similar programs—where the state median sits at just $26,734. That gap matters because peer programs nationally produced debt loads around $27,000, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77 that's manageable if those salary projections hold true.

The real question is whether Bethel's graduates will actually command the higher national figures or settle closer to Tennessee's more modest outcomes. Lee University, the only comparable program in the state with reported data, shows graduates earning that lower Tennessee median. At nearly $8,500 less annually, that would transform the debt picture from reasonable to problematic. The 97% admission rate and modest test scores suggest Bethel isn't necessarily positioning students for premium employment outcomes.

For parents, this uncertainty demands concrete planning. If your student is pursuing a specific allied health credential with clear licensing or certification requirements, the program's value depends heavily on whether it delivers those credentials and places graduates in roles that justify the investment. Without verified outcomes from this specific program, you're essentially betting that Bethel's graduates will outperform the state average by 32%. That's possible, but it requires understanding exactly which career pathway this degree opens and what employers in your region actually pay.