Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions at Syracuse University

At $48,098 in first-year earnings, Syracuse's post-baccalaureate certificate in Mental and Social Health Services produces graduates earning slightly below the national median of $49,112—ranking in just the 5th percentile nationally. However, the New York context tells a different story: this is the only program of its kind in the state, making it the de facto state median and ranking at the 60th percentile. The $27,000 in median debt translates to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.56, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about seven months of gross earnings.

The critical caveat here is the tiny sample size—fewer than 30 graduates. This means one or two outliers could dramatically shift these numbers in either direction, making them unreliable indicators of what your child might actually experience. The program's uniqueness in New York could reflect either specialized excellence or limited demand.

For a post-baccalaureate certificate at a private university, the earnings are modest but the debt load remains reasonable. If your child is already committed to mental and social health services work and needs this credential specifically, the financial risk is contained. But given the small cohort and near-bottom national ranking, investigate carefully why enrollment is so limited and what career outcomes the specific graduates from recent years have actually achieved—don't rely solely on these aggregate numbers.