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Health/Medical Preparatory Programs at Clemson University

SC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 51.11

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health/Medical Preparatory Programs degree from Clemson University earn a median salary of $133,128 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $139,840. The degree typically pays for itself in 3.3 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

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

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$87,622

Typical Career

$133,128

Top Performers

$160,475

Estimated break-even: 3.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$888

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $11,094. Most students can comfortably afford about a $888 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 3.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 18.4%
Health Care & Social Assistance 13.3%
Educational Services 12.8%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$139,840

Nominal: $133,128 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 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).

3.3 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 $19,056 $64,930 $126,300
5 Years After Graduation $87,622 $133,128 $160,475
10 Years After Graduation $102,748 $143,586 $169,142

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 $133,128 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $133,128 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $139,840 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of Health/Medical Preparatory Programs at Clemson University experience a significant earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $64,930, which increases to $133,128 after five years and reaches $143,586 by the ten-year mark. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary reflects a national equivalent of $139,840.34, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to their peers across the country despite the cost of living index in South Carolina being slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries that Clemson graduates enter include Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (18.4%), Health Care & Social Assistance (13.3%), and Educational Services (12.8%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 3.3 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for pursuing these programs. Overall, the data indicates that a degree in Health/Medical Preparatory Programs can lead to strong career prospects and financial benefits in the long term.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Health/Medical Preparatory Programs degree at Clemson University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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