Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Based on comparable medical laboratory science programs in Minnesota, Saint Mary's appears to position graduates for solid financial footing—estimated first-year earnings of roughly $72,000 against $25,000 in debt translates to a manageable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio. This puts the program right at the state median for both outcomes, suggesting typical rather than exceptional results for Minnesota lab science graduates. What matters here is that medical laboratory scientists command relatively strong wages nationally ($65,000 median), and Minnesota programs consistently outperform that benchmark by $5,000-$10,000.

The challenge with Saint Mary's specifically is that we're working entirely from estimates—neither earnings nor debt figures come from tracked graduates of this program, but from peer institutions statewide and nationally. Looking at Minnesota programs with reported data, outcomes span from about $66,000 at Winona State to $74,000 at Saint Cloud State, suggesting some variation exists even within the state. Saint Mary's estimated placement in the middle of this range seems plausible given the school's broad access (89% admission rate) and relatively modest Pell enrollment.

**The practical takeaway**: If your child is committed to lab science work and prefers Saint Mary's campus or mission, the estimated financial picture doesn't raise red flags—the field offers stable demand and the projected debt burden wouldn't consume early earnings. Just recognize you're making this decision without concrete outcome data specific to this program.