Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Oakland University

Oakland University's clinical laboratory science program produces graduates earning $56,000 in their first year—significantly below what you'd expect in Michigan. While the debt burden is reasonable at $28,000, graduates here earn about $7,000 less annually than the state median and nearly $9,000 less than the national median. That's not a trivial gap when starting salaries at nearby Wayne State are $14,000 higher.

The 40th percentile ranking within Michigan tells the real story: Oakland sits squarely in the bottom half of the state's lab science programs. Even Eastern Michigan and Grand Valley—schools with similar admission profiles—produce graduates earning $7,000-$10,000 more annually. The earnings do grow to about $60,500 by year four, but that modest 8% increase doesn't close the gap with competitors. When you're starting from behind, steady growth still leaves you behind.

For a family choosing between Michigan lab science programs, Oakland represents the budget option with budget outcomes. The debt load won't sink anyone financially—the 0.50 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable—but if your child can gain admission to Wayne State, Grand Valley, or Eastern Michigan, those programs deliver substantially better returns for similar upfront costs. This isn't a bad program; it's just demonstrably outperformed by most alternatives in the state.