Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Los Angeles Pacific University

Los Angeles Pacific University's Health Services program produces graduates earning $46,353 within a year—substantially above both the California median ($32,726) and national average ($32,798) for associate's degrees in this field. Among California's 68 programs, these earnings place in the 80th percentile, meaning graduates here outearn four out of five comparable programs statewide. Nationally, it's even more impressive: 90th percentile.

The debt picture tells an equally strong story. While $35,105 in borrowing is above the state median, it's actually quite low nationally (5th percentile), and the 0.76 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than what they'll earn in their first year. For context, many students in this field graduate with far less debt but also much lower earning potential—this program delivers both higher earnings and manageable debt relative to that income.

The major caveat: this data comes from a small graduating class (under 30 students), so individual outcomes may vary more than at larger programs. Still, for families considering allied health programs in California, the combination of strong early earnings and reasonable debt burden makes this worth serious consideration, particularly given that nearly half of students receive Pell grants, suggesting the school serves economically diverse families successfully.