Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions at University of Wisconsin-Superior

Wisconsin's rehabilitation and therapeutic professions programs show consistent starting earnings around $36,000, and UW-Superior appears to track with these state norms based on peer institutions. The estimated first-year salary of $36,361 aligns almost exactly with the state median, though it falls short of what UW-La Crosse graduates earn—about $5,000 more annually. Still, this field tends to reward experience and additional credentials over time, so the entry point matters less than the trajectory.

The estimated $24,500 in debt is actually lower than both state and national medians for this degree, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67. That's comfortably below the concerning 1.0 threshold where annual debt equals annual income. For students planning to pursue graduate degrees—common in rehabilitation fields for occupational therapy, physical therapy, or speech pathology—keeping undergraduate debt modest becomes particularly important since they'll likely borrow more later.

The real consideration here is whether your child is committed to this career path and understands which roles require only a bachelor's versus which demand graduate training. Programs like UW-Superior's can serve as solid foundations for further study, but if they plan to stop at the bachelor's level, research exactly which rehabilitation careers are accessible and whether those align with their goals. The numbers suggest reasonable undergraduate preparation rather than a final destination.