Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at College of Coastal Georgia

First-year earnings of $41,274 place this program significantly behind what's typical for allied health diagnostic programs—roughly $13,000 below what graduates from similar Georgia programs earn and about $9,000 under the state median. While the estimated debt of around $15,225 appears manageable based on comparable Georgia programs, the low earnings create a shakier foundation than you'd want. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 looks reasonable on paper, but that calculation matters less when the underlying earnings are this far below market rate for the credential.

This gap is particularly striking given that other Georgia technical colleges are placing associate-degree holders in this field into jobs paying $57,000-$60,000 in their first year. That's a $16,000-$19,000 difference—meaningful money when you're starting a healthcare career. The program serves a largely Pell-eligible student body in coastal Georgia, which may limit local job market opportunities compared to larger metro areas where the top-performing programs are located.

For families weighing this investment: the debt load itself shouldn't be prohibitive, but the earnings lag suggests either weaker employer connections, different specialization tracks within allied health, or geographic constraints that limit graduate outcomes. Before committing, compare what specific positions recent graduates are landing versus what students from Georgia's higher-earning programs secure—that concrete job placement information matters more than these estimated averages can tell you.