Health/Medical Preparatory Programs at Diablo Valley College

Diablo Valley College's Health/Medical Preparatory program falls short of what similar California programs deliver. At $24,803 in first-year earnings, graduates earn about $3,600 less than the state median and rank at just the 40th percentile among California's health prep programs. Nearby community colleges like Merced and Gavilan see their graduates earning $28,000-$31,000 in that crucial first year.

The debt picture is slightly better than average—$12,312 puts graduates about $2,000 below typical borrowing for this degree. That translates to a manageable 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe roughly half their first-year salary. Still, the combination of below-average earnings with middling debt means students are starting their careers on weaker financial footing than peers at other California schools.

The caveat here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers might not represent typical outcomes. But taken at face value, parents should ask why this program underperforms the California average by 14%. For a family considering in-state options, other community colleges appear to position graduates more successfully in the job market without requiring additional debt.