Somatic Bodywork at Orion Institute

The numbers here tell an uncomfortable story: graduates earn $21,252 in their first year but see that drop to just $16,152 by year four—a 24% decline that's hard to justify with any career credential. While Orion performs slightly above average among Ohio's somatic bodywork programs, that's relative to a field where even the top earners in the state barely clear $22,000.

The debt load of $10,545 is manageable compared to many programs, sitting below the 20th percentile nationally, and represents about half of first-year earnings. But that ratio deteriorates significantly by year four, when the debt exceeds annual earnings. With 65% of students receiving Pell grants, these are primarily students from low-income backgrounds who need pathways to financial stability—and this program doesn't reliably provide that.

Compare these outcomes to nearly any healthcare certificate at a community college, where you'd find first-year earnings in the $30,000-$40,000 range with better growth trajectories. Unless your child has independent financial support and treats this as personal enrichment rather than career preparation, this program represents a risky investment that's likely to leave them earning less than full-time minimum wage work within a few years of graduation.