Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at The University of Texas at Austin

UT Austin's clinical lab science program carries a warning label: with fewer than 30 recent graduates tracked, these numbers may not tell the full story. That said, what we do see raises questions about value at a flagship institution. Starting salaries of $61,461 trail the national median by $3,500 and sit squarely in the middle of Texas programs—behind schools like Tarleton State and Texas State that likely cost less to attend. For a selective university with a 29% admission rate, landing in the 40th percentile statewide suggests the UT brand doesn't translate to premium compensation in this field.

The $23,000 median debt is manageable, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 that most families can handle. But here's the reality: clinical lab scientists often start at similar pay regardless of where they earned their degree, as hospital systems use standardized salary bands. Your child might find better returns at public regional universities that specifically focus on health professions training and have stronger placement networks with Texas medical centers. The small sample size means these numbers could shift dramatically year to year, but they suggest this isn't UT's strongest health sciences offering—those typically sit at their dedicated health science centers, which show up with higher earnings in the state rankings.