Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75 looks manageable on paper, but the full picture deserves scrutiny. Based on comparable rehabilitation and therapeutic professions programs nationally, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods graduates likely earn around $36,000 in their first year while carrying an estimated $27,000 in debt. That's roughly nine months of gross income to pay off loans—workable, but not generous. Indiana programs in this field typically produce slightly lower first-year earnings (around $34,400), though that state median comes from actual data at schools like Indiana Wesleyan, where outcomes are similar.

The challenge here is that these estimates come from peer institutions because this program's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report specific outcomes. That means the $36,000 figure reflects what similar programs produce nationally, not what Saint Mary-of-the-Woods' specific curriculum, faculty connections, and clinical placements deliver. The school serves a high proportion of Pell-eligible students (51%), which suggests strong access but may also indicate less robust alumni networks or industry connections that could boost early earnings.

For families considering this investment, the estimated numbers suggest a financially viable path—if actual outcomes align with peer programs. Request placement rates in clinical settings and first-destination employment data directly from the school. Without program-specific outcomes, you're betting that this smaller program performs at least as well as the national median.