Public Health at Roanoke College

A $27,000 debt load paired with first-year earnings around $36,600—both figures drawn from comparable Virginia public health programs—lands squarely at state and national medians for this field. Based on peer programs, graduates typically earn enough to manage their debt, with a ratio of 0.74 suggesting roughly three-quarters of first-year income would cover the entire loan balance. That's within the range most financial advisors consider manageable, though it means loan payments will claim a meaningful chunk of early paychecks.

The challenge is that public health bachelor's degrees often serve as stepping stones rather than endpoints. Many positions offering higher salaries require graduate credentials, and similar programs across Virginia show relatively tight clustering in the mid-$30,000s for early earnings. Roanoke's accessible admission profile (80% acceptance rate) suggests they're serving students who might not have flagship university options, which could make keeping debt near the state median especially important.

For families weighing this investment, the key question is career trajectory beyond year one. If your student plans to work immediately after graduation and can keep total debt close to this estimate, the numbers work—but just barely. If graduate school is likely, factor in how additional credentials and debt will reshape this calculation. The estimated figures here suggest a viable but not generous starting point.