Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Dorsey College-Wayne

This certificate's unusual earnings pattern demands attention: graduates earn $32,000 within a year but see that drop to under $25,000 by year four—a 22% decline that's rare in healthcare fields. While the program performs at the 60th percentile among Michigan's medical laboratory training options, that relative success doesn't prevent the troubling income slide. The debt load of $15,400 looks manageable initially, but when your child's earnings are falling instead of rising, even modest debt becomes harder to justify.

The 77% Pell grant rate suggests Dorsey serves students who need credentials to translate quickly into stable income. Yet this program delivers the opposite trajectory. Medical laboratory work typically offers steady employment with gradual wage growth, so this decline raises questions about job placement, whether graduates are finding relevant work, or if this certificate alone doesn't provide enough credentials to command sustainable wages in Michigan's healthcare market. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) means the data is reasonably reliable, not just a few outliers.

For an anxious parent, here's the concern: your child will likely earn less four years out than they did right after graduating, while still carrying debt. Unless this certificate is clearly a stepping stone to further credentials—and you've verified that pathway exists—the investment doesn't align with the goal of launching a stable healthcare career.