Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College

At $28,481 first-year earnings, Malcolm X College's allied health certificate graduates earn barely half the Illinois median for this program ($48,283), placing this in the bottom 10% statewide. While the debt load looks manageable at $13,679, graduates would need to dedicate about six months of pretax income just to cover those loans—and that's assuming they can secure full-time work in their field. Compare this to College of DuPage graduates earning $53,537 or even fellow Chicago-area school Harper College at $64,113, and the value gap becomes stark.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift year to year, but even accounting for statistical noise, there's no reasonable scenario where this program competes with peer Illinois community colleges. For a working-class student—and 42% of this institution's students receive Pell grants—investing 9-12 months in a certificate program that yields near-poverty wages is a serious financial risk.

If allied health is the goal, parents should push their student toward other Chicago-area options. Even Prairie State College, while still below state averages, delivers 24% higher first-year earnings. Without evidence this specific program provides unique connections or specialization, the earnings shortfall is too large to justify enrollment.