Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley State University's medical lab science program starts graduates at $63,038—right at Michigan's median but slightly below the national benchmark of $64,930. That 60th percentile state ranking is less impressive when you see that Michigan schools cluster tightly: the top programs like Wayne State pay just $7,500 more annually. The good news? At $31,741 in debt, students here borrow less than both state and national medians, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50 that translates to manageable monthly payments on solid healthcare wages.

The real caveat here is the small sample size—under 30 graduates reported data. That means one or two outliers could significantly skew these numbers either direction. Medical lab scientists typically see stable career trajectories given healthcare demand, but with this limited data, you can't gauge whether Grand Valley's specific program tracks that pattern or has unique characteristics.

For a student planning to stay in Michigan and work in clinical labs, this represents a reasonable path: moderate debt for middle-of-the-pack earnings in a field with strong job security. Just recognize you're making this decision with incomplete information, and the program isn't demonstrating significant placement advantages over other Michigan options.