Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Carrington College-Sacramento

Carrington College-Sacramento's Health Sciences associate program delivers below-average first-year earnings at $29,853—roughly $3,000 less than both the national and California medians for this degree. While the program ranks at just the 40th percentile among California's 68 similar programs, there's a silver lining: its $15,888 debt load is substantially lighter than the state median of $27,000. This creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53, meaning graduates owe about six months of salary—manageable territory for an entry-level healthcare credential.

The challenge is getting a foothold in Sacramento's competitive healthcare market at this salary level. First-year earnings here trail programs like Pacific Union College by nearly $3,000, though Carrington's lower debt partially offsets that gap. For a program serving 56% Pell-eligible students, the lighter debt burden matters, but these earnings may make it difficult to get ahead financially in California's high cost-of-living environment.

Bottom line: This program offers an affordable entry point into healthcare support roles, but families should verify exactly which positions these graduates secure and whether the salary trajectory improves significantly after year one. If this is positioning students for roles with clear advancement paths or opportunities to ladder into higher-credential programs, the conservative debt makes sense. If graduates stay stuck near $30,000, you're looking at a marginal return on investment.