Health and Medical Administrative Services at Somerset Community College

Somerset Community College's Health and Medical Administrative Services program sits near the middle of Kentucky options but carries a financial burden that should concern any parent. At $33,302 in debt—nearly twice Kentucky's median for this program and above even the national median—students are graduating with obligations that their earnings simply don't support. That 1.23 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe more than their first year's salary, a threshold that makes loan repayment genuinely difficult.

The earnings trajectory makes this more troubling. Graduates start at $27,035, already below the national median of $31,719, then see their income drop 9% by year four to just $24,503. Within Kentucky, this program ranks 60th percentile, meaning it's middle-of-the-pack—but look at Gateway Community and Technical College's graduates earning $48,917, nearly double what Somerset students make. That's the same credential, same state, vastly different outcome.

For families where $33,000 in debt feels manageable, this might work if the student has strong ties to the Somerset area. But with several community colleges in Kentucky delivering either similar earnings with far less debt or substantially higher earnings for comparable cost, parents should seriously question whether this particular path makes financial sense. The high percentage of Pell-eligible students suggests many families here can least afford a debt load this heavy relative to earning potential.