Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Mid-Plains Community College

In Nebraska's lab science programs, Mid-Plains shows estimated debt levels around $19,700—slightly higher than the state median of $19,067 but meaningfully below the national median of nearly $25,000. That's a real advantage when you're looking at an associate's degree that should open doors to immediate employment in healthcare.

Based on comparable programs nationally, first-year earnings land around $48,000, which aligns closely with what similar Nebraska programs produce. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 suggests graduates would need less than half a year's salary to cover their student loans—a manageable starting point for a technical healthcare credential. Southeast Community College, the only Nebraska program with reported outcomes, shows nearly identical earnings at $46,884, reinforcing that this salary range reflects actual market conditions for lab technicians in the state.

The challenge here is that both earnings and debt figures are drawn from peer programs rather than Mid-Plains' own graduates, so you're operating with educated guesses rather than proven track records. For a parent evaluating a two-year healthcare program, the national benchmarks suggest reasonable returns, and Mid-Plains' lower estimated debt compared to the national median offers some cushion. But without school-specific outcomes, you're betting that Mid-Plains performs at least as well as its peers—a bet that looks reasonable given the consistency across Nebraska programs, though not guaranteed.