Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Clover Park Technical College

Clover Park Technical College gets students into well-paying allied health careers quickly—graduates earn over $60,000 within a year—but the small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers might not reflect what your child would actually experience. That said, the debt load of under $20,000 is manageable, translating to a healthy debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.33, which gives graduates breathing room even if their outcomes vary from these figures.

The bigger question is competitive positioning. While this program beats the national median by $6,000, it falls short of Washington's median by $2,000 and lands in just the 40th percentile statewide. Nearby Tacoma Community College graduates earn $73,000—nearly $13,000 more—suggesting location and connections within the same region aren't the differentiating factors. If your child is considering allied health in Washington, compare what specific credentials or specializations each program offers, since the earnings spread is substantial even among community colleges.

With earnings actually declining slightly by year four, this looks like a credential that opens doors quickly but may not lead to dramatic career progression without additional training. For a family seeking affordable entry into healthcare, the low debt makes this workable, but exploring why neighboring programs produce stronger outcomes would be smart before committing.