Health and Medical Administrative Services at Chattanooga State Community College

Healthcare administration programs often draw students hoping for stable, office-based careers, and Chattanooga State's outcomes suggest this path can work—with an important caveat about the numbers. First-year earnings of $36,204 place graduates at the 72nd percentile nationally for this field, beating three-quarters of similar programs. That's solid performance for an associate's degree, though it's worth noting that these earnings figures are actual reported outcomes while the debt estimate of $20,437 comes from national benchmarks across community colleges.

That estimated debt level matters because it's substantially lower than Tennessee's typical $33,597 for this program, which would make Chattanooga State a better-than-average value proposition if the estimate holds true. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56 means roughly seven months of gross income to cover the full debt load—manageable territory for most graduates. However, the modest 7% earnings growth to year four ($38,564) suggests this field doesn't reward experience dramatically, so that first-year salary largely determines your financial trajectory.

For parents, the key question is whether your student can secure similar outcomes to the graduates reflected in these earnings figures. At 35% Pell-eligible students, Chattanooga State serves a population where every dollar of debt counts, making that estimated $20,437 figure critical to verify through the financial aid office before committing.