Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Northeast Iowa Community College

Similar allied health programs across Iowa suggest first-year earnings around $51,460, with estimated debt near $18,000—creating a manageable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio. However, the four-year earnings figure of $45,600 raises a red flag. This decline is unusual for healthcare fields, which typically see steady income growth. It might indicate graduates transitioning to part-time work, changing specialties, or reflect the small sample size that led to data suppression in the first place.

What's concerning is the gap between Northeast Iowa's outcomes and top-performing Iowa programs. Southeastern Community College graduates earn over $60,000 in their first year, while several other community colleges cluster above $55,000. Even accounting for estimation uncertainty, this program appears to underperform its state peers by roughly $5,000-$10,000 annually. The lower debt compared to Iowa's typical $21,945 helps, but it doesn't fully offset the earnings difference over time.

For parents, the key question is whether this particular program prepares students for the higher-paying positions that other Iowa schools consistently deliver. The debt load is reasonable for a healthcare credential, but if earnings remain closer to $45,000 than $51,000, your child might find themselves earning $10,000-15,000 less annually than peers from nearby programs—a gap that compounds significantly over a career.