ROI Major

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions at Albany State University

GA · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.10

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree from Albany State University earn a median salary of $54,178 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $59,865. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.5 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

$41,492

Typical Career

$54,178

Top Performers

$66,881

Estimated break-even: 10.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$361

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,515. Most students can comfortably afford about a $361 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x 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, Educational Services, Administrative & Support Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 56.7%
Educational Services 11.9%
Administrative & Support Services 5.0%

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

$59,865

Nominal: $54,178 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).

10.5 years 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 $35,416 $43,948 $54,468
5 Years After Graduation $41,492 $54,178 $66,881
10 Years After Graduation $48,182 $59,848 $78,757

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 $54,178 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)
= $54,178 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $59,865 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 Albany State University can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $52,636, which increases to $57,124 after five years and reaches $70,679 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $63,120.44, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earning potential relative to national standards despite the cost of living in Georgia.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 56.7% employed in this field one year post-graduation. This trend continues with 46.8% and 34.0% remaining in the same industry after five and ten years, respectively. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 8.1 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, particularly in light of the strong demand for professionals in health-related fields.

Compare with Another School

See how the Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree at Albany State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions at Albany State University.

Apply to Albany State University

Explore More

Other Degrees at Albany State University

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.