Health Professions at Saint Mary's College of California

The numbers here are unusually murky. Because Saint Mary's health professions cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report publicly, we're looking at national estimates: roughly $38,500 in first-year earnings and $27,000 in debt. That 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within manageable territory, but the real concern is what "health professions" actually means at this particular school—the category is notoriously broad, covering everything from clinical roles to health administration to community health education, with vastly different earning trajectories.

The four-year earnings jump to $57,485 suggests graduates either move into better-paying positions or pursue additional credentials, which is common in health fields. Yet California's median debt for this credential sits at just $18,750, meaning Saint Mary's students may be borrowing considerably more than peers across the state for similar outcomes. That gap—nearly $8,000 extra in debt—matters when you're starting at under $40,000 annually.

Without knowing which specific health careers this program actually prepares students for, you're making a significant financial commitment on limited information. If your child is headed toward nursing, physical therapy, or another licensed clinical role, Saint Mary's might serve as a stepping stone. But if this is pre-professional preparation requiring graduate school anyway, that extra debt compounds quickly. Get specifics from the department about job placement and what graduates actually do before signing on.