Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Fortis College-Richmond

First-year earnings of $38,420 place this program in the bottom tenth statewide—a significant gap when Virginia's community colleges are producing graduates earning $60,000 or more in the same field. With estimated debt around $25,600 (based on typical borrowing at similar institutions), graduates would be starting with debt equal to two-thirds of their first-year salary while their peers across town at J Sargeant Reynolds are earning nearly $23,000 more annually. That earnings difference compounds: over just five years, it represents more than $100,000 in lost income compared to nearby alternatives.

The 71% Pell Grant population suggests this program serves students who need financial aid to succeed, making the debt-to-earnings picture particularly concerning. When debt data must be estimated from peer institutions rather than reported directly, it's because the graduate cohort is too small—which itself raises questions about program scale and resources. More troubling is that these earnings aren't just below average; they're tracking in the 5th percentile nationally for allied health programs at this level.

For parents, the math is straightforward: community colleges in Richmond and throughout Virginia are producing substantially better outcomes in this exact field. Before committing to Fortis, you should understand specifically which allied health credential this program offers and verify its employment outcomes independently, because these estimated figures suggest it's dramatically underperforming accessible public alternatives that cost less and pay more.