Health and Medical Administrative Services at Durham Technical Community College

Durham Tech's health administration program significantly outperforms both state and national benchmarks, placing graduates in the 80th percentile among North Carolina schools with first-year earnings of $38,041—about $8,000 above the state median. Four years out, earnings grow to $45,870, a solid 21% increase that suggests real career progression rather than a dead-end credential. Only Davidson-Davie posts higher earnings among NC community colleges in this field.

The catch is debt: at $36,237, graduates carry substantially more than the state median of $24,498 and nearly 60% more than the national average. However, with a debt-to-earnings ratio under 1.0 and strong earning potential, this remains manageable—especially given the steady income growth trajectory. The program serves a significant Pell grant population while maintaining these outcomes, which speaks to genuine access and value.

The major caveat here is sample size. With fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these numbers could shift considerably year-to-year. But if they hold, this represents one of the stronger health administration programs in North Carolina's community college system, worth the higher debt load for students serious about this career path.