Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at University of Arkansas at Monticello

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 typically signals manageable debt, but the full picture here depends heavily on what "Health Services/Allied Health" actually means at UAM. Based on comparable bachelor's programs nationally, first-year earnings around $35,300 could represent anything from health administration to community health work—fields with vastly different salary trajectories. The estimated $24,790 in debt sits below both state and national medians, which is encouraging for a university serving nearly half its students through Pell grants.

The challenge is that Arkansas already pays less for these roles than most states, and the range among the five programs here is wide. Two schools with reported data show earnings from $30,600 to $35,700, suggesting this field isn't uniformly lucrative even within the state. If this program feeds into front-office healthcare roles rather than clinical ones, that $35,000 starting point may represent a ceiling rather than a floor. But if it's a pathway to specialized certifications or graduate programs in nursing or health informatics, it could serve as solid groundwork.

Before committing, your child needs to identify the specific career track this degree supports at UAM and verify actual job placement outcomes directly with the department. The estimated numbers suggest reasonable debt, but only if the program connects to roles that actually materialize—and pay—in Arkansas.