ROI Major

Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 at McLennan Community College

TX · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.39

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 degree from McLennan Community College earn a median salary of $54,205 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,855. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.4 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

$41,744

Typical Career

$54,205

Top Performers

$67,717

Estimated break-even: 10.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$361

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,517. 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 Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 80.5%
Administrative & Support Services 4.2%
Public Administration 4.2%

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

$58,855

Nominal: $54,205 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

10.4 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 $32,195 $41,505 $50,596
5 Years After Graduation $41,744 $54,205 $67,717
10 Years After Graduation $49,193 $62,360 $80,136

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 $54,205 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $54,205 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $58,855 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of Health Professions and Related Programs at McLennan Community College experience a positive earnings trajectory over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $41,505, which increases to $54,205 after five years and reaches $62,360 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $58,854.51, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to the national average, despite Texas having a slightly lower cost of living index.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 80.5% finding employment in this field. This concentration suggests strong job security and demand for skills acquired during their studies. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 10.4 years, which indicates a reasonable return on investment for those pursuing this educational route. Overall, the career prospects and earnings potential in the health professions appear favorable, making it a viable option for students at McLennan Community 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.