Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Old Dominion University

Similar allied health programs in Virginia typically produce first-year earnings around $65,000, which would put Old Dominion's graduates right at the state median for this field. With estimated debt of roughly $27,000, that translates to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41—meaning the entire loan balance equals less than half of that first year's salary. For context, Virginia Commonwealth's comparable program reports nearly identical outcomes at $66,750, suggesting these estimates align with what public institutions in the state actually deliver.

The challenge here is uncertainty. Because Old Dominion's specific graduate outcomes aren't publicly available, these figures are derived from just three similar Virginia programs. That's a thin basis for a major financial decision, especially when allied health covers everything from diagnostic medical sonography to respiratory therapy—fields with vastly different career trajectories. What works well for respiratory therapy graduates might look different for those in other specialties within this broad category.

If your child has a specific allied health career in mind, dig into job placement rates and certification pass rates for that particular track at Old Dominion. The estimated numbers suggest reasonable value, but without knowing which specialty they're pursuing, you're essentially betting on an average that may not reflect their actual path.