Health and Medical Administrative Services at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

A near-1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio tells an uncomfortable story: borrowing $42,000 (based on comparable private colleges in Indiana) to earn roughly the same amount in your first year leaves little margin for error. While earnings estimates from similar Indiana programs hover around $43,000—roughly matching the state median—this debt load is notably higher than the $31,000 typical for health administration programs both statewide and nationally. For a family watching every dollar, that $10,000-12,000 gap matters significantly.

The competitive landscape offers important context. Indiana Wesleyan and Purdue Global graduates in this field report starting salaries in the $47,000-$50,000 range with similar or lower debt burdens, suggesting Saint Mary-of-the-Woods may not be delivering equivalent outcomes despite comparable costs. The school serves a largely working-class population (51% receive Pell grants), making high debt levels particularly concerning for students who may lack family financial cushions.

The bottom line: this appears to be an above-average-cost path to average-earnings outcomes in health administration. If your child is set on this field and this school, have frank conversations about minimizing borrowing through work-study, living at home if feasible, or completing general education requirements at a community college first. The career itself is solid, but the financial structure here demands careful planning.