Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Ferrum College

Four years after graduation, Ferrum's health sciences bachelor's earners are making $34,267—actually less than the estimated $36,654 first-year figure drawn from peer Virginia programs. This backward slide is unusual and troubling, suggesting either program-specific challenges or that graduates are working part-time or leaving the field entirely. Meanwhile, the $27,000 in debt sits right at Virginia's median for these programs, meaning you're taking on typical borrowing for below-typical results.

The debt burden itself isn't extreme—about nine months of that fourth-year salary—but when earnings are stagnant or declining in the years after graduation, that ratio matters less than the absolute number. Virginia's health sciences programs typically produce first-year earnings around $36,600, and most graduates see income growth through year four. That Ferrum's reported fourth-year figure is lower raises questions about the types of roles graduates are securing or the strength of the school's clinical placement network. With a 100% admission rate and serving nearly half its students on Pell grants, Ferrum may be reaching students who need the most support but getting them outcomes that trail the state average.

Before committing, demand specifics: What exact jobs are recent graduates taking? What percentage work full-time in health services four years out? Without clearer answers about why earnings decline rather than grow, this program carries more risk than Virginia's other health sciences options.