Health Professions at Orange County Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 suggests this associate's degree in health professions could offer reasonable value, though the picture relies entirely on estimates drawn from peer programs nationally. With debt projected around $15,440 based on similar community colleges and first-year earnings at $35,232 from comparable health professions programs across the country, graduates would face manageable monthly loan payments—roughly 6-7% of gross monthly income under standard repayment terms.

The estimated figures align reasonably well with New York's typical outcomes for this field, where the state median shows $35,765 in earnings against $12,950 in debt. That debt comparison is worth noting: if Orange County's actual debt burden trends closer to the New York median rather than the national estimate used here, the value proposition improves further. The 27% Pell grant rate indicates a modest proportion of lower-income students, suggesting the college serves a mixed economic demographic.

The fundamental limitation is that you're evaluating this program without knowing its actual graduate outcomes. The estimates provide directional guidance—health professions associate's degrees generally produce steady, if modest, entry-level earnings with controllable debt—but whether Orange County Community College's specific program performs better or worse than its peers remains unknown. If your child is drawn to this field and this location, request placement rates and employer connections directly from the program, since those practical outcomes matter as much as the estimated financials suggest they might.