Human Services at University of Phoenix-Arizona

University of Phoenix-Arizona's Human Services associate program looks strong on paper—graduates earn $40,894 in their first year, ranking in the 95th percentile nationally. However, there's a critical problem: earnings don't grow, they collapse. By year four, the median graduate earns just $28,879, a 29% decline that's the exact opposite of what you want to see. This pattern suggests either unstable employment in the field or that many graduates struggle to advance beyond entry-level positions.

The debt picture compounds this concern. At $26,563, graduates carry more debt than most Human Services associate programs nationally (33rd percentile), and that burden becomes increasingly difficult to manage as earnings fall. While the first-year debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 seems manageable, it worsens significantly as income drops. Arizona has only two schools offering this program, so state comparisons aren't particularly meaningful here.

For a family considering this investment, the question is whether your child can buck the earnings decline trend—perhaps by immediately pursuing a bachelor's degree or securing stable government employment. The first-year earnings are genuinely competitive, but without a plan to maintain or grow that income, this program risks leaving graduates with associate-degree debt and stagnant career prospects. The 45% Pell grant rate indicates many students here are already financially vulnerable, making the earnings trajectory particularly concerning.