Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Harding University

A first-year salary around $65,000 based on comparable laboratory science programs nationwide positions this degree well above Arkansas's typical $57,916 for the field. The estimated debt load of $25,269 creates a manageable 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning graduates would owe roughly five months of their first year's salary. That's a reasonable financial starting point for a technical healthcare credential.

The challenge here is uncertainty. With both earnings and debt estimated from peer programs rather than Harding's actual outcomes, you're making decisions with limited visibility. Arkansas State and UAMS—the state's programs with reported data—show slightly lower earnings in the $56,000-$59,000 range, which suggests the national estimate might be optimistic for Arkansas' healthcare market. The debt estimate comes from just seven similar private institutions nationally, not Arkansas schools specifically, where the state median sits lower at $20,000.

Laboratory science offers concrete job skills that typically translate to steady employment, and the financial projections look sound on paper. But parents should recognize they're betting on assumptions rather than this program's track record. If your student is choosing between Harding and a program with transparent outcomes data, that transparency itself has value when you're investing this much money.