Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies at Carrington College-Mesa

Carrington College-Mesa's health aide program achieves something noteworthy: it delivers top-quartile national earnings while keeping debt manageable at just $7,680. Graduates earn $26,105 within a year—outperforming three-quarters of similar programs nationwide. The 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio means students finish with debt equivalent to about 3.5 months of income, which is highly manageable for a short-term certificate program serving a predominantly working-class student body.

The tradeoff is essentially flat earnings growth. Four years out, graduates earn virtually the same as they did initially, which is typical for entry-level healthcare support roles that often function as stepping stones to higher credentials like LPN or RN. Within Arizona's limited field of eight programs, this ranks solidly in the 60th percentile—middle of the pack for the state but still above the national median.

For families considering this as a quick entry point into healthcare, the math works. The low debt burden means graduates aren't trapped by payments while they gain experience or pursue additional training. This is particularly valuable given that over half of students receive Pell grants. Just understand that growth in this role comes from additional education or transitioning to different positions, not from tenure in the same job.