Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems at Front Range Community College

The earnings trajectory for this program raises immediate red flags: graduates earn $28,076 in their first year but see their income plummet 36% to just $18,063 by year four. That's a reversal of what you'd expect from career progression, suggesting graduates struggle to find stable work in this field or transition to lower-paying roles. Meanwhile, you're carrying $26,701 in debt—nearly 1.5 times that fourth-year income.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could swing dramatically with just a few data points, but the shrinking earnings pattern is hard to ignore. Among Colorado's three schools offering this program, Front Range sits at the 60th percentile—slightly above the state median of $28,076—but that's measuring first-year earnings. The real concern is where graduates land a few years out. This is a niche field with limited data nationwide (only 10 programs tracked), which itself suggests limited career pathways.

For a community college associate's degree, you'd typically expect manageable debt paired with steady, if modest, income growth. This program delivers the opposite. Unless your child has exceptional clarity about career plans in alternative medicine and a backup strategy, the combination of declining earnings and substantial debt makes this a risky investment, even at community college pricing.