ROI Major

Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 at North Central Missouri College

MO · 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 North Central Missouri College earn a median salary of $55,365 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $62,068. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.8 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

$42,235

Typical Career

$55,365

Top Performers

$70,735

Estimated break-even: 9.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$369

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,614. Most students can comfortably afford about a $369 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 Missouri buys what costs $0.89 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 66.8%
Retail Trade 5.2%
Manufacturing 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

$62,068

Nominal: $55,365 in Missouri (COL 89.2% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

9.8 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 $32,624 $40,408 $49,356
5 Years After Graduation $42,235 $55,365 $70,735
10 Years After Graduation $48,487 $66,438 $80,755

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 $55,365 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MO, which has a cost-of-living index of 89.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,365 × (1.0 ÷ 0.8920) = $62,068 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 North Central Missouri College can expect a positive earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $40,408, which increases to $55,365 after five years and reaches $66,438 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $62,068.39, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings in relation to national standards despite the cost of living index in Missouri being lower than the national average.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, accounting for 66.8% of employment, followed by Manufacturing at 22.9%. Given the estimated break-even point of approximately 9.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable. The strong presence in health-related sectors suggests a stable job market, further enhancing the overall value of this educational path.

Compare with Another School

See how the Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 degree at North Central Missouri College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Health Professions and Related Programs — CIP 51.39 at North Central Missouri College.

Apply to North Central Missouri College

Explore More

Other Degrees at North Central Missouri College

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.