Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Missouri State University-Springfield

A national median salary estimate of $64,930 places this program well above Missouri's reported median of $40,156 for clinical laboratory science—though this gap warrants scrutiny. Saint Louis University, the only Missouri program with published outcomes, reports first-year earnings of $40,156, which raises questions about whether Missouri State's graduates would actually match the stronger national figure. The estimated debt of $25,908 sits just below the national median and would be manageable against either earnings scenario, with a 0.40 ratio suggesting graduates could pay down their loans within their first few years of work.

The uncertainty here cuts both ways. If Missouri State's program produces graduates who command national-level salaries, this is a strong value proposition at a school with a 91% admission rate. If instead graduates earn closer to the Missouri median—perhaps due to local job market conditions or differences in program quality—the picture becomes less compelling, though still workable given the moderate debt load. Clinical laboratory science typically offers stable employment in healthcare settings, which matters when evaluating a program where actual outcomes remain unpublished.

Your best move is to contact Missouri State's career services directly and ask what their graduates in this specific program actually earn in their first year. Schools track this data even when sample sizes prevent public reporting. Without that conversation, you're choosing between optimistic national projections and more modest in-state reality.