Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Clayton State University

Clayton State's health sciences program delivers exactly what you'd hope to find at an accessible regional university: solid performance at a manageable cost. With first-year earnings of $34,006 against $31,000 in debt, students face a debt load they can reasonably handle—notably lower than the national average for this field. More importantly, graduates earn more than 60% of similar programs across Georgia, despite tuition costs that serve the state's working- and middle-class families (over half of students receive Pell grants).

The earnings sit just below the national median but slightly above Georgia's typical outcome for this degree. That's a reasonable tradeoff considering the institution's accessibility and the debt advantage. While the program won't catapult graduates into the highest-earning tier—top Georgia programs like South University-Savannah see graduates earning around $36,600—the difference of $2,600 annually may not justify significantly higher costs or admission barriers elsewhere.

For Georgia families seeking an affordable entry into healthcare fields, this program offers a straightforward value: below-average debt paired with middle-of-the-pack earnings that still exceed what most in-state competitors deliver. The real question is whether your student plans to pursue additional credentials afterward, since many allied health careers reward further specialization with meaningfully higher pay.