Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Central Michigan University

The small sample size here demands caution, but the numbers tell a worrying story: Central Michigan's graduates in this field earn just $28,651 their first year—less than half the $64,202 median for Michigan allied health programs. That places these graduates in the bottom 10th percentile statewide. Even after four years, earnings reach only $45,630, still trailing the state median by nearly $20,000. For context, nearby Ferris State and University of Michigan-Flint produce graduates who start earning closer to $64,000-$67,000 in similar programs.

The 59% earnings jump from year one to year four suggests these graduates may be starting in entry-level positions before transitioning to better roles, but the limited sample makes it impossible to know if this pattern is reliable or just reflects a few individual career paths. The debt load of $27,000 is actually moderate—matching both state and national medians—but it matters far more when paired with such low initial earnings.

With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, this data might not reflect your child's likely outcome, especially if the program has changed recently or if these specific graduates entered lower-paying specialties within allied health. Before dismissing this program entirely, investigate which specific careers these graduates pursue and whether the tracking caught them during clinical rotations or entry-level positions. The gap between Central Michigan's outcomes and other Michigan programs is too large to ignore without understanding what's driving it.