Public Health at Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo

With two-thirds of students receiving Pell grants, Bryant & Stratton's public health certificate attracts a heavily working-class population—making the debt picture particularly important. The good news: graduates carry just $17,726 in debt, which ranks in the 25th percentile nationally (meaning 75% of similar programs burden students with more). At first-year earnings of $28,528, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 is manageable—students would need to dedicate about 13% of pre-tax income over five years to clear this debt.

However, these numbers require serious qualification. The sample size is very small—under 30 graduates—which means a few outliers could skew the picture significantly. The fact that this certificate hits exactly the national and state median for earnings, and that all Bryant & Stratton locations show identical figures, suggests limited data reliability. For a family making an investment decision, treat these as ballpark estimates rather than precise predictions.

The real question is whether a certificate delivers enough career acceleration to justify $17,726 in debt. For students already working in healthcare or social services who need specific credentials, this could make sense. But families should verify actual job placement rates and salary ranges with the school directly before committing—and consider whether a certificate, rather than a degree, will open the doors your child needs.