Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at St Philip's College

St Philip's College manages to deliver something increasingly rare in higher education: genuinely affordable allied health training. With debt of just $11,950—substantially lower than both the Texas median ($17,249) and national average ($19,113)—graduates leave with minimal financial burden. The 0.24 debt-to-earnings ratio means students repay their investment in roughly three months of work, a remarkably low barrier to entry for healthcare careers.

The tradeoff is straightforward: first-year earnings of $49,898 trail the Texas median by about $6,000 and fall in the 40th percentile statewide. Top Texas programs like Hill College and South Texas College produce graduates earning $68,000-78,000 in their first year—significantly higher than St Philip's. However, earnings do grow steadily to $53,774 by year four, and the program serves a substantial number of Pell-eligible students who might struggle with the higher debt loads elsewhere.

For San Antonio families prioritizing minimal debt over maximum earnings, this works. You're accepting below-average starting pay in exchange for almost no financial risk. If your child plans to stay in the region and values job security over top-dollar compensation, the low-debt entry point makes sense. But if they're competitive enough for Hill College or South Texas College, those programs offer $18,000-28,000 more in first-year earnings—enough to justify higher debt loads.