Health and Medical Administrative Services at Pima Medical Institute-Aurora

At $26,557 in first-year earnings, this certificate lands squarely in the middle of the pack—40th percentile both nationally and among Colorado's 23 programs. That's roughly $1,700 below what the typical Colorado graduate in this field earns, and about $3,000 less than peers at nearby Concorde Career College-Aurora. The debt load tells a more troubling story: at $8,272, graduates here carry debt in the 95th percentile nationally, meaning only 5% of similar programs nationwide saddle students with more borrowing. While that's still a manageable 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio, you're paying more to access a program that delivers median results.

The 22% earnings growth to $32,424 by year four offers some reassurance that healthcare administration careers do build momentum. And for the nearly half of students here receiving Pell grants, a certificate program with relatively quick entry into the workforce may justify the tradeoff. But with other Pima campuses in Colorado (Denver and Colorado Springs) showing identical or better outcomes, location appears to be driving the choice rather than program quality. If your child can access one of those alternatives—or particularly Concorde's program—they'd likely achieve similar or better earnings with less debt burden. For Aurora residents specifically, this works as a local option, but it's not a standout value.