Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions at Utah Tech University

Utah Tech's Allied Health program starts graduates at $47,230—about $7,000 below the national median for this field. While earnings climb 15% to $54,369 by year four, that first-year gap is significant: among Utah's five schools offering this associate degree, Utah Tech lands at the 40th percentile. Salt Lake Community College places its graduates at $54,072 right out of the gate, a $7,000 advantage that compounds over time. For parents comparing in-state options, that's worth noting.

The debt load of $20,125 sits slightly above both state and national medians, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43—manageable but not exceptional. The math works: a year-one salary covers the debt more than twice over. But the real question is opportunity cost. If your child can access one of Utah's better-performing programs in this field, the higher starting salary could mean thousands of extra dollars toward loan repayment or living expenses during those critical early career years.

This program gets graduates working in allied health, which matters. The earnings trajectory moves in the right direction, and the debt isn't crushing. But given the performance gap within Utah itself, explore whether Salt Lake Community College or Weber State—which matches Utah Tech's four-year outcome at year one—might offer better financial positioning from day one.