Health and Medical Administrative Services at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

This certificate program shows a favorable debt picture but small sample size demands caution. Elizabethtown's graduates carry roughly $21,000 in loans—well above the Kentucky median of $14,850, but the program ranks in the 8th percentile nationally for debt, meaning 92% of similar programs leave students with more borrowing. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 suggests manageable repayment, with first-year earnings covering the full debt load in under 10 months.

Within Kentucky's 33 health administration programs, this one lands solidly in the middle for earnings at the 60th percentile. However, top programs in the state like Sullivan University and Jefferson Community and Technical College deliver earnings $10,000+ higher with their graduates. For a certificate that typically takes a year or less to complete, $27,578 provides a foundation for administrative healthcare roles, though not the strongest earning potential available at Kentucky community colleges.

The critical limitation here is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates means one or two outliers could significantly skew these numbers. Before committing, your student should verify current job placement rates and confirm whether graduates are securing full-time positions versus part-time administrative work. At this debt level, the program only makes financial sense if it leads directly to steady employment in medical offices or hospital administration.