Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Erie Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 suggests this program could offer solid value, though both figures here come from national medians rather than Erie's actual graduate outcomes. Based on comparable clinical lab programs nationwide, students typically earn around $48,000 in their first year and carry roughly $19,700 in debt—manageable numbers for a healthcare field with steady demand.

The catch is that New York's lab science programs generally perform better than the national picture suggests. The state median sits at $53,886, nearly $6,000 higher than the national benchmark Erie's estimates are drawn from. SUNY Broome's reported outcomes match that state median exactly, which raises the question of whether Erie's program prepares graduates as well as its upstate competitor. Without Erie's actual data, you're betting on a program whose performance remains unclear in a state where similar credentials typically command stronger earnings.

For parents weighing this path, the estimated debt load is reasonable enough that even if Erie's outcomes fall below the state average, graduates likely won't face crushing repayment burdens. But if your student has access to SUNY Broome or another NY program with transparent, documented outcomes above $50,000, that's worth serious consideration. You're choosing between a known quantity and an educated guess.