Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions at University of North Carolina Wilmington

UNC Wilmington's rehabilitation program graduates start at $39,366—well above both the national median ($35,966) and North Carolina's average ($34,990). Within the state's nine programs, this ranks at the 60th percentile, trailing only Western Carolina among major public universities. The real advantage shows up in the debt numbers: at $21,500, graduates here carry about $3,500 less than the state median and nearly $5,000 less than the national average. That 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio means students borrow roughly half their first-year salary, a manageable level that should allow for comfortable repayment.

The earnings trajectory is steady rather than spectacular, climbing to $43,080 by year four—a 9% increase that keeps pace with experience gains typical in rehabilitation fields. Starting salaries in the high $30s won't fund luxury lifestyles, but they're respectable for entry-level therapeutic work, and the moderate debt load won't become a financial burden. The combination of above-average starting pay and below-average borrowing creates a practical path forward.

For a family considering rehabilitation professions, this represents solid value: your child enters a helping profession without the debt trap that sometimes accompanies it. The program outperforms most state alternatives while keeping costs reasonable—exactly what you'd want from a quality public university program.