Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions at College of Saint Mary

The $28,000 debt figure here sits right at Nebraska's median for this field, but the earnings trajectory tells a more complex story. Graduates of similar rehab and therapeutic professions programs nationally earn around $36,000 in their first year—a modest start that would make this debt manageable but not comfortable. What transforms the picture is where earnings head from there: by year four, this program's graduates hit nearly $69,000, almost doubling that initial salary.

That leap matters because many students in this field go on to become occupational therapy assistants, physical therapy assistants, or work in related therapeutic roles that require licensure and experience-building. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.78 suggests payments would consume a meaningful chunk of early paychecks, likely requiring income-driven repayment initially. But the rapid earnings growth—if it holds for this specific program's graduates—could shift the burden from "tight" to "tolerable" within a few years.

The catch is that both the first-year and fourth-year figures come from peer programs rather than College of Saint Mary's actual outcomes, so you're banking on this school's graduates following a similar pattern. Given that only two Nebraska schools offer this bachelor's program and neither has enough graduates for the DOE to report separately, you're making this decision somewhat blind. If your child is committed to therapeutic professions and has already secured admission, the debt level isn't alarming—but confirming actual job placement rates and licensure pass rates directly with the school becomes essential.