Health and Medical Administrative Services at Pacific University

Pacific University's health administration bachelor's comes with $24,434 in debt—notably lower than both the state median ($46,532) and national median ($30,998) for this field. The catch? The earnings figure of $44,345 is drawn from national benchmarks because this program's graduate pool is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. That's substantially below the $56,031 that Oregon's other programs in this field typically produce, though whether that gap reflects Pacific's actual outcomes or simply the limitations of estimation remains unclear.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 looks manageable on paper, suggesting graduates would owe about half their first-year salary. But this calculation assumes Pacific's graduates earn close to the national median—an assumption that carries real risk when the school's peer programs in Oregon show significantly higher earnings. If Pacific's outcomes track closer to state norms, the investment looks stronger. If they lag behind, that relatively modest debt burden becomes more concerning, especially given that health administration roles in Oregon's competitive healthcare market may favor graduates from programs with established regional networks.

For parents, the decision hinges on whether you're comfortable with significant uncertainty. The lower debt is genuine and valuable, but without actual earnings data, you're betting that Pacific's program performs somewhere between the national floor and Oregon's stronger outcomes. If your student has specific connections to Pacific's healthcare partnerships in the Portland metro area, that regional foothold might justify the risk. Otherwise, programs with transparent, reported outcomes offer more predictable returns.