Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at North Dakota State University-Main Campus

North Dakota State's medical laboratory science program carries reasonable debt at $31,000, but the earnings numbers tell a more complicated story. At $58,799, first-year salaries trail both the state median ($63,414) and national median ($64,930) by around $5,000-6,000. Within North Dakota's small market of seven programs, this lands in the 40th percentile—middle of the pack—while University of North Dakota graduates start nearly $10,000 higher.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53 is manageable, meaning graduates owe roughly half their starting salary. Combined with relatively low debt (18th percentile nationally), students aren't being crushed by loans. However, the small sample size—fewer than 30 graduates—means these figures could shift significantly year to year. A few outliers dramatically change the picture when cohorts are this tiny.

For families committed to staying in North Dakota, this program offers an affordable entry into healthcare with solid job security, even if the salary starts lower than competing programs. But if your child is considering multiple schools in the state, the earnings gap with UND is worth investigating—whether that difference reflects program quality, employer connections, or simply random variation in a small dataset.