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Best Value Colleges For Healthcare Careers

Healthcare jobs tend to be both high-paying and, according to our research, healthcare professionals often believe their jobs are meaningful; they believe they're making the world a better place.

To start your healthcare career out right, PayScale's College ROI Report can help you narrow down your list to the best value colleges for healthcare careers.

PayScale calculates the College ROI Report for Healthcare Careers by using the salaries of alumni from each school who go on to work in the healthcare field, regardless of their undergraduate major, to calculate their median 20-year earnings. Read More

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ROI Type

20-Yr Net Annual %

Rank

School Name

20 Year Net ROI

Total 4 Year Cost

Graduation Rate

Typical Years to Graduate

Average Loan Amount

Idaho State University (ISU)(In-State)

$390,000

$82,800

33%

5 Years

$24,000

76	Idaho State University (ISU)(In-State)
	Annual ROI	9.1%
	Annual ROI	9.0%
	Annual ROI	10.8%
	Annual ROI	10.6%
	20 Year Net ROI	$390,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$388,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$412,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$410,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$82,800
	Total 4 Year Cost	$84,700
	Grad Rate	33%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$24,000
	Grant Money Received	78%

University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)(In-State)

$386,000

$84,500

38%

5 Years

$17,700

77	University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)(In-State)
	Annual ROI	9.0%
	Annual ROI	8.8%
	Annual ROI	12.2%
	Annual ROI	12.0%
	20 Year Net ROI	$386,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$384,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$423,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$422,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$84,500
	Total 4 Year Cost	$86,400
	Grad Rate	38%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$17,700
	Grant Money Received	75%

Curry College(Private)

$382,000

$206,000

45%

4 Years

$41,500

78	Curry College(Private)
	Annual ROI	5.4%
	Annual ROI	5.8%
	Annual ROI	7.5%
	Annual ROI	8.2%
	20 Year Net ROI	$382,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$398,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$450,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$466,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$206,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$190,000
	Grad Rate	45%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$41,500
	Grant Money Received	98%

79 (tie)

Seattle University(Private)

$381,000

$214,000

78%

4 Years

$28,500

79 (tie)	Seattle University(Private)
	Annual ROI	5.2%
	Annual ROI	N/A
	Annual ROI	7.4%
	Annual ROI	N/A
	20 Year Net ROI	$381,000
	20 Year Net ROI	N/A
	20 Year Net ROI	$453,000
	20 Year Net ROI	N/A
	Total 4 Year Cost	$214,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	N/A
	Grad Rate	78%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$28,500
	Grant Money Received	94%

79 (tie)

West Texas A & M University(In-State)

$381,000

$77,300

40%

5 Years

$22,600

79 (tie)	West Texas A & M University(In-State)
	Annual ROI	9.3%
	Annual ROI	8.9%
	Annual ROI	11.5%
	Annual ROI	10.8%
	20 Year Net ROI	$381,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$375,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$407,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$400,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$77,300
	Total 4 Year Cost	$83,800
	Grad Rate	40%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$22,600
	Grant Money Received	73%

Rivier College(Private)

$380,000

$171,000

51%

4 Years

$41,600

81	Rivier College(Private)
	Annual ROI	6.0%
	Annual ROI	5.5%
	Annual ROI	7.9%
	Annual ROI	7.2%
	20 Year Net ROI	$380,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$364,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$431,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$415,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$171,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$187,000
	Grad Rate	51%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$41,600
	Grant Money Received	99%

West Texas A & M University(Out-of-State)

$378,000

$80,300

40%

5 Years

$22,600

82	West Texas A & M University(Out-of-State)
	Annual ROI	9.1%
	Annual ROI	8.7%
	Annual ROI	11.2%
	Annual ROI	10.6%
	20 Year Net ROI	$378,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$372,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$404,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$397,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$80,300
	Total 4 Year Cost	$86,700
	Grad Rate	40%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$22,600
	Grant Money Received	73%

Texas Tech University(In-State)

$377,000

$88,100

59%

5 Years

$30,000

83	Texas Tech University(In-State)
	Annual ROI	8.7%
	Annual ROI	9.6%
	Annual ROI	10.8%
	Annual ROI	12.2%
	20 Year Net ROI	$377,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$391,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$406,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$419,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$88,100
	Total 4 Year Cost	$74,900
	Grad Rate	59%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$30,000
	Grant Money Received	54%

84 (tie)

Holy Family University(Private)

$376,000

$171,000

56%

4 Years

$32,000

84 (tie)	Holy Family University(Private)
	Annual ROI	6.0%
	Annual ROI	6.4%
	Annual ROI	8.9%
	Annual ROI	9.7%
	20 Year Net ROI	$376,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$390,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$448,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$462,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$171,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$157,000
	Grad Rate	56%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$32,000
	Grant Money Received	99%

84 (tie)

Jacksonville University(Private)

$376,000

$183,000

41%

4 Years

$30,600

84 (tie)	Jacksonville University(Private)
	Annual ROI	5.7%
	Annual ROI	5.4%
	Annual ROI	9.3%
	Annual ROI	8.6%
	20 Year Net ROI	$376,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$365,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$464,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$453,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$183,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$195,000
	Grad Rate	41%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$30,600
	Grant Money Received	98%

84 (tie)

Shenandoah University(Private)

$376,000

$175,000

55%

4 Years

$38,900

84 (tie)	Shenandoah University(Private)
	Annual ROI	5.9%
	Annual ROI	5.9%
	Annual ROI	8.1%
	Annual ROI	8.1%
	20 Year Net ROI	$376,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$376,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$434,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$434,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$175,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$175,000
	Grad Rate	55%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$38,900
	Grant Money Received	99%

University of Wyoming (UW)(In-State)

$375,000

$73,700

54%

5 Years

$26,700

87	University of Wyoming (UW)(In-State)
	Annual ROI	9.5%
	Annual ROI	9.5%
	Annual ROI	11.9%
	Annual ROI	11.9%
	20 Year Net ROI	$375,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$375,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$402,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$402,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$73,700
	Total 4 Year Cost	$73,700
	Grad Rate	54%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$26,700
	Grant Money Received	86%

Worcester State University(In-State)

$373,000

$93,200

53%

5 Years

$27,800

88	Worcester State University(In-State)
	Annual ROI	8.4%
	Annual ROI	9.7%
	Annual ROI	9.6%
	Annual ROI	11.4%
	20 Year Net ROI	$373,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$394,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$392,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$412,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$93,200
	Total 4 Year Cost	$72,600
	Grad Rate	53%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$27,800
	Grant Money Received	71%

Nova Southeastern University(Private)

$372,000

$175,000

46%

4 Years

$33,600

89	Nova Southeastern University(Private)
	Annual ROI	5.9%
	Annual ROI	4.9%
	Annual ROI	8.6%
	Annual ROI	7.0%
	20 Year Net ROI	$372,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$336,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$441,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$405,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$175,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$210,000
	Grad Rate	46%
	Time to Graduate	4 Years
	Loan Amt	$33,600
	Grant Money Received	97%

90 (tie)

Hampton University(Private)

$371,000

$139,000

66%

5 Years

$31,700

90 (tie)	Hampton University(Private)
	Annual ROI	6.7%
	Annual ROI	6.4%
	Annual ROI	8.8%
	Annual ROI	8.4%
	20 Year Net ROI	$371,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$362,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$416,000
	20 Year Net ROI	$407,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$139,000
	Total 4 Year Cost	$147,000
	Grad Rate	66%
	Time to Graduate	5 Years
	Loan Amt	$31,700
	Grant Money Received	76%

See Full List

*NOTE: Unranked schools on this list don’t have on-campus living options, so on-campus costs are not available.

(All salary data comes from people who have taken the PayScale Salary Survey and told us their job title, salary and other facts in order to get their own personalized salary report.) We then subtract the cost of attending the school and compare how their earnings compare to those of the typical worker who did not earn a bachelor's degree. People who received graduate degrees were not included in these calculations, so the numbers you see here do not include doctors, dentists, and many other of the highest-earning healthcare workers, since those jobs require a graduate degree and we can't calculate how much they spent obtaining that additional education.

But there are many healthcare jobs that don't require advanced degrees, and as the numbers on this list show, when it comes to College ROI, healthcare workers often see big gains. Examples of healthcare job titles that are typical of people on this list include physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, laboratory technicians, dental hygienists, sonographers, ultrasound technicians, dieticians, nutritionals, emergency room technicians, operating room technicians and a wide variety of nurses and nursing managers.

Ferris State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan comes in high on the list of best college return on investment healthcare for workers. Ferris State was originally named Big Rapids Industrial School and had the unique mission of providing students with marketable skills to change society. This mission is obviously being accomplished, in part due to the successful healthcare workers who graduate from Ferris State University.

Texas Woman's University (TWU) was established in 1901 as an all-female school, though it has accepted men into its health sciences graduate school in 1972, and fully opened its doors to men in 1994. The school remains unique, however, in that it requires all undergraduates -- regardless of their proposed/intended degree -- to take three hours of multicultural women's studies in order to graduate.

The oldest institute of higher learning on the West Coast, San Jose State (SJSU) offers a nice perk: More San Jose State University alumni are hired by Silicon Valley firms than graduates of any other college or university.

Another public school on this list dominated by public schools is the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), which was named a "Next Generation University' by The New America Foundation.

New York University is also frequently among the highest-ranking private college for healthcare workers in terms of college ROI.