Health and Medical Administrative Services at St. Thomas University

Borrowing nearly $48,000 for a bachelor's degree that leads to first-year earnings around $39,700—based on Florida's health administration programs—creates immediate financial pressure. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.19 means graduates would owe more than their entire first year's salary, a concerning starting point for a field where the national median for bachelor's holders sits at $44,345. The gap between St. Thomas's estimated outcomes and what comparable programs actually report is stark: Barry University graduates in this field earn $61,949, while even mid-tier programs like DeVry and Santa Fe College place graduates above $42,000.

The $47,375 debt figure substantially exceeds both the national median ($30,998) and Florida's own median ($42,867) for this credential, suggesting St. Thomas's pricing may be out of step with peer institutions. In healthcare administration, where starting salaries don't typically surge dramatically in early years, beginning with debt that exceeds annual income makes standard loan repayment challenging. Similar programs across Florida demonstrate that better debt-to-earnings outcomes are achievable in this field—you're not looking at an inherently poor-performing major, but rather a program where the combination of estimated costs and earnings raises questions about whether this specific path offers competitive value for a healthcare administration career.