Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

MD Anderson's medical laboratory program demonstrates unusually strong debt management—$15,000 median debt ranks in the 95th percentile nationally (only 5% of programs have lower debt). This represents less than half the national median of $26,022 and roughly 35% less than Texas's typical $23,000. Combined with first-year earnings of $62,861, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.24, meaning debt equals less than three months' salary.

The earnings picture is more nuanced. While $62,861 falls slightly below the national median ($64,930), it exceeds Texas's state median of $61,917, placing this program in the 60th percentile among the state's 19 medical lab programs. You'll notice several Texas programs deliver higher starting salaries—DeVry and Tarleton graduates earn around $70,000—but likely not with comparable debt levels. MD Anderson's specialized cancer research environment may focus less on maximizing starting salaries than on providing strong clinical training with minimal financial burden.

For families, this presents a straightforward value proposition: your child enters a stable healthcare field with manageable debt that won't delay life milestones. The lower earnings relative to top Texas programs matter less when debt service consumes so little of take-home pay. If your student is drawn to cancer research or specialized laboratory work and doesn't need to maximize immediate earnings, the debt advantage here is hard to beat.