Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Joliet Junior College

Joliet Junior College's allied health program hits a sweet spot that's hard to find: graduates leave with manageable debt of just $12,355 while earning $57,778 their first year out—nearly $4,000 above the national median and comfortably above Illinois's typical program. That 0.21 debt-to-earnings ratio means students can clear their entire loan balance in roughly ten weeks of work, making this one of the more financially accessible paths into healthcare.

The program performs solidly within Illinois, ranking in the 60th percentile statewide. While top programs at Harper and Malcolm X push earnings into the mid-$60,000s, Joliet's combination of lower debt and strong earnings still represents good value. The modest student body receiving Pell grants (23%) suggests this isn't primarily serving high-need students, but the debt numbers remain low regardless of background.

For families weighing options, this program offers a straightforward calculation: your child gets trained for a healthcare career with solid starting pay while taking on roughly $7,000 less debt than the national average. The earnings gap between Joliet and the state's best programs exists, but it's not dramatic enough to offset the debt advantage. If location and cost are priorities, this represents a practical entry point into allied health professions without the financial stress that typically comes with healthcare training.