Health and Medical Administrative Services at Creighton University

Creighton's healthcare administration program starts graduates at $46,000—above the national median but trailing the Nebraska state median by $3,300. In a state with just five programs offering this degree, landing at the 40th percentile suggests regional employers may value competitors' offerings more highly. For context, nearby Bellevue University's program produces graduates earning $6,500 more right out of the gate.

The financial picture looks manageable on paper: $24,327 in debt against $46,000 in first-year earnings creates a healthy 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's considerably lower than the national median debt of $31,000 for this field. The 29% earnings growth to $59,000 by year four is solid, bringing graduates closer to market rates. However, even at that level, they're still earning about $10,000 less than what Nebraska's median for this program suggests is possible.

The small sample size here matters—we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, which means one or two outliers could skew these numbers significantly in either direction. Given that caveat and the below-state-median performance, families should weigh whether the private school premium at Creighton translates into actual career advantages, or whether state schools might deliver better local market access at lower cost.