Health and Medical Administrative Services at Clayton State University

Clayton State's Health and Medical Administrative Services program saddles graduates with nearly $49,000 in debt while delivering first-year earnings of just $35,248—creating a debt burden that exceeds their entire first year's salary. That's among the highest debt loads nationally for this field (87th percentile) paired with some of the lowest earnings (5th percentile nationally). Within Georgia, the program sits near the middle for earnings (40th percentile) but well above the state median for debt, meaning there are notably better options in-state like Reinhardt University ($49K earnings) or even Georgia Highlands College ($40K earnings with likely lower debt).

The 23% earnings growth to $43,355 by year four helps, but graduates are still playing catch-up on an outsized debt burden. This is particularly concerning at a school serving a high proportion of Pell Grant recipients (52%), who can least afford programs with poor return on investment. The moderate sample size suggests this isn't a fluke but rather a consistent pattern.

For families considering this program, the math is straightforward: your child would likely earn $4,000 more annually by choosing nearly any other Health and Medical Administrative Services program in Georgia, while potentially taking on $10,000+ less debt. Unless there are compelling personal circumstances keeping you local to Morrow, this program's combination of high debt and low earnings makes it difficult to recommend.