ROI Major

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

GA · Certificate Degree · CIP 51.10

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College earn a median salary of $30,856 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $34,095. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$21,669

Typical Career

$30,856

Top Performers

$41,019

Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.

Debt-to-Income Check

$206

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,571. Most students can comfortably afford about a $206 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Public Administration.

Where Certificate Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 32.6%
Retail Trade 11.0%
Public Administration 9.1%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$34,095

Nominal: $30,856 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

>10 years (extrapolated) to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $18,467 $23,771 $28,276
5 Years After Graduation $21,669 $30,856 $41,019
10 Years After Graduation $23,193 $32,130 $42,596

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $30,856 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $30,856 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $34,095 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College can expect a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation are $23,771, rising to $30,856 after five years and reaching $32,130 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary is approximately $34,095.03, indicating that while initial salaries may seem modest, there is potential for growth, particularly when considering the cost of living in Georgia, which has a COL index of 0.905 compared to the national average.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 56.1% of graduates working in this field, followed by 32.6% and 30.7% in related roles. While the estimated break-even point for this career path compared to a high school-only education exceeds ten years, the consistent demand for health care professionals suggests a stable job market. Overall, the return on investment may take time to materialize, but the potential for career advancement and job security in a growing industry is notable.

Compare with Another School

See how the Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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All colleges for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions → Top majors at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College →

Other Degrees at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.