Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at University of Central Missouri

University of Central Missouri's health sciences program lands squarely in the middle of the pack—40th percentile among Missouri programs and 41st percentile nationally. While that might sound underwhelming, the financial fundamentals are actually solid: graduates start at $33,674 and reach over $40,000 within four years, all while carrying debt that's slightly below both state and national medians at $27,000.

The real question is opportunity cost. Missouri State graduates in this field earn $44,443—nearly $11,000 more than UCM grads in year one. Even University of Missouri-Columbia and UMKC deliver substantially higher starting salaries. That said, UCM's more accessible admissions (69% acceptance rate) and relatively low debt load create a workable financial equation. The 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe less than a year's salary, which is manageable territory for healthcare careers that typically offer stable employment.

For students confident they can get into Missouri's top-tier programs, those clearly offer better returns. But for those seeking a reliable path into allied health fields without excessive debt, UCM delivers what it promises—just don't expect it to outperform. The 21% earnings growth over four years suggests these careers do build momentum, even if they start modestly.