Health/Medical Preparatory Programs at Northeastern Technical College

This undergraduate certificate carries $18,933 in median debt—about $3,000 above the national median for similar health prep programs and slightly above South Carolina's typical $17,239. That debt load becomes harder to assess because Northeastern Technical College's earnings outcomes aren't available, leaving us to rely on national estimates suggesting first-year earnings around $50,381.

Here's the challenge: that national figure comes from just five programs nationwide and may not reflect South Carolina's healthcare market, where Midlands Technical College's health prep graduates actually earned $30,101—roughly $20,000 less than the national estimate. If Northeastern's outcomes track closer to South Carolina norms than national ones, you'd be looking at debt that equals more than half of first-year earnings rather than the more manageable 38% ratio the estimates suggest.

The third of students here receiving Pell grants indicates this program serves working-class families who can least afford a credential that underperforms. Without concrete data on what Northeastern's specific graduates actually earn, you're making a significant financial commitment based on peer programs that may not apply. Before enrolling, get the school to explain why their outcomes aren't reportable and whether their graduates' actual placement rates and starting salaries justify nearly $19,000 in debt for a certificate program.