Health and Medical Administrative Services at Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Southwestern Oklahoma State University's Health and Medical Administrative Services program lands squarely in the middle tier—both statewide and nationally. Graduates earn $41,575 in their first year, about $3,000 below Oklahoma's median for this degree and roughly $2,800 under the national average. Among the four schools offering this program in Oklahoma, SWOSU ranks at the 40th percentile, with Mid-America Christian's grads earning about $6,200 more annually.

The debt picture offers some compensation: at $27,063, graduates carry notably less debt than typical for this field (the national median is nearly $31,000). That 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio means students borrow about eight months' worth of their first-year salary—manageable territory. For a university with open admissions and serving a substantial Pell-eligible population (38%), keeping debt under control matters.

The practical reality is that this program delivers a credential that gets graduates employed in healthcare administration at below-average cost, but doesn't position them for standout earnings. If your child is committed to staying in Oklahoma and values the stability of SWOSU's established program, the lower debt burden makes this workable. But families should recognize they're accepting earnings that trail state and national norms by about 7-10%, which compounds over time. For students aiming to maximize their healthcare administration salary, looking at competitors—even within Oklahoma—would be prudent.