Health Professions at Glen Oaks Community College

The estimated numbers here—$35,200 in first-year earnings against $15,400 in debt—suggest a reasonably manageable financial proposition for an associate's degree in health professions. With debt running at about 44% of first-year income, graduates from comparable programs typically face monthly payments around $170, which represents roughly 6% of gross earnings. That's within the conventional 10% guideline that financial advisors recommend, though it still means less flexibility in those crucial early career years when many health professionals are building their experience and credentials.

What makes this estimate harder to evaluate is Michigan's limited landscape for this credential—only five schools statewide offer associate's degrees in health professions, and peer programs cluster tightly around the same earnings figure. That consistency suggests the estimate may be reliable, but it also reveals a ceiling: similar programs across Michigan don't show graduates earning significantly more in their first year. The broader concern is whether $35,200 provides enough runway in a state where healthcare wages vary considerably by specialty and region. If your child is considering this path, understanding which specific health profession this associate's degree leads to matters enormously—a medical assistant faces different prospects than a respiratory therapy technician or surgical technologist, even if they start with similar credentials and debt loads.