Health and Medical Administrative Services at University of Arkansas Grantham

University of Arkansas Grantham's Health and Medical Administrative Services program graduates start near the national median at $31,895, but earnings drop to $28,113 by year four—a concerning 12% decline when most careers show growth. While the program ranks in the 60th percentile among Arkansas's 13 similar programs, that's less impressive when you consider graduates are earning essentially the state median. The real challenge is the debt burden: at $31,449, graduates face nearly dollar-for-dollar debt relative to their first-year earnings, significantly higher than the $23,000 national median.

The program serves a heavily Pell-eligible population (62%), making the debt-to-earnings math particularly worrisome. Starting at under $32,000 with debt nearly equal to annual income creates tight financial margins, and the downward earnings trajectory suggests limited advancement opportunities in these roles. While administrative healthcare jobs offer stability, this specific outcome pattern—backwards earnings movement paired with above-average debt—indicates graduates may be hitting pay ceilings quickly or shifting to lower-paying positions.

For Arkansas families specifically seeking healthcare administration training, this program delivers market-rate starting salaries but pairs them with debt levels that will take years to manage comfortably. The declining earnings trend is the bigger red flag here, suggesting the associate's degree may not provide enough credential weight for career progression in this field.