Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Kalamazoo Valley graduates enter the allied health field earning just over $54,000—solid for an associate degree—but something unusual happens after that initial success. By year four, earnings slip to $51,000, a 5% decline that stands out among Michigan's 31 programs in this field. While the program ranks in the 60th percentile statewide for first-year earnings, that advantage appears temporary. Compare this to top performers like Monroe County Community College, where graduates earn $63,000, or Henry Ford College at nearly $59,000.

The debt load of roughly $21,000 is manageable, translating to a 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio that won't crush recent graduates. That's slightly above the national median but nearly identical to Michigan's average, so it's within normal range for these programs. The real question is what's driving that earnings dip—whether graduates are shifting to part-time work, moving between specializations within allied health, or facing local market constraints in the Kalamazoo area that limit advancement opportunities.

For families considering this program: it provides reliable entry into allied health careers with reasonable debt, but don't expect earnings to climb in those crucial early years. If your student is committed to staying in the Kalamazoo region, understand they may be trading some earning potential for geographic convenience compared to programs near Detroit or other Michigan healthcare hubs.