Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions at Southern Adventist University

A $27,000 debt load against first-year earnings around $36,000 puts this program squarely in line with national norms for rehabilitation and therapeutic professions bachelor's degrees. Based on comparable programs nationwide, graduates typically face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75, which translates to manageable monthly payments—roughly 8-9% of gross income on a standard repayment plan. That's within the range financial advisors generally consider sustainable, though hardly generous for someone starting a helping profession career.

The challenge with rehabilitation fields at the bachelor's level is that many require additional credentials or graduate degrees to reach full earning potential. Physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, and rehabilitation counselors all follow different credentialing paths, and this program's $36,000 starting point reflects entry-level positions in a broad field. Peer programs nationally show earnings clustering tightly between $36,000 and $40,000, suggesting limited variation in early outcomes regardless of school. Tennessee has seven institutions offering similar programs, though none have sufficient graduate samples for direct comparison.

For families evaluating this investment, the key question is whether your child has a clear path mapped within rehabilitation professions. If they're planning to stop at the bachelor's level and work as a rehabilitation aide or case manager, the debt burden appears reasonable. If graduate school is required for their specific career goal, factor in additional borrowing. The numbers work, but they don't leave much cushion for uncertainty about career direction.