Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at Tulsa Community College

Tulsa Community College's medical laboratory science program lands squarely in the middle of the pack, but its below-state-average earnings should catch your attention in a field known for consistent demand. At $47,316 first-year out, graduates earn about $1,600 less than the Oklahoma median and $700 below the national average—rankings that place this program in the 40th percentile statewide. Rose State College, by comparison, produces graduates earning $8,000 more annually with identical debt loads.

The debt picture itself isn't alarming: $26,444 represents roughly six months of first-year salary, which is manageable for a healthcare credential. What's harder to ignore is that you're paying the same amount other Oklahoma programs charge while getting meaningfully lower returns. This gap matters in a two-year program where cost control should be a major advantage.

Keep in mind these figures come from a small graduating cohort (under 30 students), so individual outcomes vary more than usual. If your child has strong reasons to attend TCC—location, existing credits, or specific program features—this remains a viable healthcare pathway. But if you're comparing Oklahoma lab science programs purely on financial outcomes, Rose State's track record deserves serious consideration for what appears to be an identical investment.