Health Professions at Ferris State University

Ferris State's Health Professions associate degree sits right at Michigan's median for earnings, but that 60th percentile state ranking suggests it's performing slightly better than a straight comparison indicates—likely because the state has relatively few programs to compare against. The $35,232 starting salary and $17,930 in debt create a manageable 0.51 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe about half their first-year salary. For context, this debt load could be manageable on a typical health profession salary trajectory, though the numbers here reflect just the starting point.

The bigger caveat is the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates reported data, which means individual outliers could skew these figures significantly. This makes it harder to predict whether future students will see similar outcomes. The program's position at the national median suggests it's neither a standout nor a red flag, but rather a middle-of-the-road option for students who want to stay in Michigan and access health professions training at a public university with an accessible admission rate.

For families considering this route, the key question is whether the specific health profession your child is targeting typically requires just an associate degree or whether this would be a stepping stone toward further education. If it's terminal training for a specific role, these numbers work. If it's the first step in a longer educational path, factor in the total debt accumulation across degrees.