Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at St Luke's College

Health services bachelor's degrees across the country typically start graduates around $35,000, and St. Luke's College appears aligned with that national pattern. With estimated debt of $27,000 against first-year earnings in the mid-$30,000 range, the debt burden sits just below the typical annual income—a manageable ratio that suggests graduates can realistically handle their loan payments while building their careers. Nearly half of St. Luke's students receive Pell grants, indicating the college serves a population where affordability truly matters.

The challenge is that we're working with estimated figures drawn from peer programs nationally, not actual outcomes from St. Luke's graduates. The college's small size means the Department of Education suppresses the data to protect student privacy. This makes it harder to assess whether St. Luke's specific location in Sioux City or its clinical partnerships produce better or worse outcomes than the national baseline suggests. Health services is a broad category that can encompass everything from health informatics to community health work, and salaries vary considerably depending on which path graduates pursue.

For families comfortable with uncertainty, the estimated numbers suggest a reasonable investment—debt that shouldn't overwhelm early-career earnings in a stable healthcare sector. But recognize you're betting on St. Luke's matching what similar small programs achieve nationally, without the data to confirm it.