Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Regan Career Institute

A $27,500 debt load is substantial for an associate's degree, especially when peer programs nationally typically carry about $2,500 less. Based on comparable medical laboratory programs across the country, first-year earnings around $48,000 suggest this field offers reasonable entry-level compensation—but that puts you at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, meaning graduates would need to dedicate more than half their first year's salary just to clear the debt. That's workable but not comfortable, particularly in a high cost-of-living area like El Monte.

The challenge here is that without actual graduate outcomes from Regan Career Institute itself, you're making this decision based on national patterns for similar programs. California has 13 schools offering this credential, but none have publicly available outcomes data to help you gauge how this specific program stacks up locally. Medical laboratory work is stable and in demand, which works in your favor, but the estimated debt here sits at the higher end for an associate's degree in healthcare. If your child can access grants or work part-time to reduce borrowing, this becomes more manageable. Otherwise, you're banking on national trends holding true for a program where the actual track record remains unclear.