Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at Merrimack College

The $31,000 starting salary from Merrimack's health sciences program sits right at Massachusetts' median but trails the national benchmark by about $4,000. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could shift considerably with a larger sample, but the pattern is worth understanding: this program places students near the middle of the pack statewide while falling short of what similar programs deliver nationally. The debt load of $27,000 is actually quite manageable—below the national median for this field—which keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio under 1.0.

Context matters here. Massachusetts has some powerhouse health science programs, with MCPHS graduates earning nearly $50,000 their first year. Merrimack's outcomes look modest by comparison, though they're dramatically better than Springfield College's puzzlingly low $11,874 figure. The real question is whether this program serves as a stepping stone to graduate school or professional certification (common in allied health fields), or if students are entering the workforce directly at these salaries.

The financials aren't alarming—the debt burden is reasonable given typical entry-level health sector wages—but parents should verify what specific career path this degree supports. If it's preparation for physical therapy school or another advanced degree, the first-year salary is less relevant. If it's meant to launch a career immediately, understand that earnings start below what most health sciences programs nationally deliver.