Health and Medical Administrative Services at Lewis-Clark State College

Based on comparable healthcare administration programs nationwide, first-year earnings around $44,300 paired with an estimated $26,600 in debt creates a manageable 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio—better than the typical graduate who faces nearly $31,000 in loans. What's harder to assess here is how Lewis-Clark State stacks up against Idaho's small field of four programs. The only in-state program with reported data, BYU-Idaho, shows similar earnings but dramatically lower debt at $13,450, though that school's unique cost structure makes direct comparison tricky.

Healthcare administration tends to be more stable than many bachelor's-level fields, and these earnings estimates align with what most programs produce nationally. The debt load here sits between Idaho's median ($13,450) and the national median ($31,000), suggesting moderate borrowing that first-year income should reasonably support. Still, parents should recognize they're working with projections drawn from peer institutions rather than this program's actual graduate outcomes.

The practical question: can your student handle $300-350 in monthly loan payments on a $44,000 starting salary? The math works, especially if they're entering a field with clear advancement potential. But given the uncertainty in these estimates and the lower debt figures elsewhere in Idaho, it's worth comparing total costs at Lewis-Clark State against other options your student is seriously considering before committing.