Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at Mildred Elley-Pittsfield Campus

Mildred Elley's Allied Health program creates an unusual situation: graduates earn more than 95% of similar programs nationwide, yet also carry debt levels that are more than double the national norm. With first-year earnings of $35,951 against $20,000 in debt, students face higher borrowing costs than peers at other Massachusetts schools, where median debt is just $8,607.

The earnings picture within Massachusetts is less impressive. At the 40th percentile statewide, this program trails community colleges like Mount Wachusett ($45,300) and Bunker Hill ($44,141) by $9,000-10,000 annually—a meaningful gap that compounds over a career. Massachusetts has unusually strong outcomes for this field, so comparing only to national benchmarks misses the local context where tuition rates and job markets actually matter.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56 is manageable in absolute terms, but the question is whether the premium cost delivers premium value. For a family paying attention to the 73% Pell grant rate here, that extra $10,000-12,000 in debt compared to state alternatives represents real financial strain. Community college options offer similar or better earnings with dramatically less borrowing, making them the more prudent path for most students entering this field.