Health/Medical Preparatory Programs at Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

Oregon State's Cascades campus serves up a textbook example of why first-year earnings don't tell the whole story. That $33,642 starting salary lands right at the national median, but watch what happens by year four: graduates nearly double their income to $59,456. That 77% jump suggests many students are using this degree exactly as intended—as a stepping stone to medical school, PA programs, or other healthcare credentials that don't immediately pay off.

The $23,168 in debt sits slightly below Oregon's median and means graduates owe about eight months of their starting salary—manageable territory. Among Oregon's five schools offering this program, Cascades ranks in the 60th percentile for earnings, which is respectable for a regional campus. The moderate sample size (30-100 grads) means these numbers should hold up reasonably well for future students.

Here's what matters: if your child is genuinely planning to pursue graduate healthcare training, this program delivers solid preparation without crushing debt. But if they're considering this as a terminal degree, that first-year salary—while it improves dramatically—starts lower than many nursing or allied health programs. The value here depends entirely on what comes next. For the committed pre-health student, it's a reasonable launch pad. For someone uncertain about graduate school, there are more direct paths to healthcare earnings.