Public Health at Southwest University at El Paso

Southwest University at El Paso's Public Health program carries $57,101 in median debt—more than double both the national median ($26,000) and Texas median ($24,250) for this degree. That burden would be concerning for any program, but it's particularly problematic here where graduates earn just $31,612 their first year. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.81, new graduates face nearly two years of gross income in debt, and the trajectory doesn't improve: earnings actually decline to $30,015 by year four.

While this program ranks at the 40th percentile among Texas public health programs, that's misleading context given the extreme debt load. The issue isn't just that graduates earn less than peers at UT Arlington ($37,043) or Texas A&M ($39,584)—it's that those schools saddle students with half the debt. With 79% of students receiving Pell grants, most families here are counting on this degree to change their financial trajectory, but the math suggests it will take years just to break even on the investment.

For families considering this program, the question isn't whether public health is a valuable field—it's whether this specific path makes financial sense. Unless your child has substantial scholarships that would cut this debt significantly, other Texas public health programs offer better value propositions with similar career outcomes but far less financial burden.