ROI Major

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions at College of Coastal Georgia

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 College of Coastal Georgia earn a median salary of $45,365 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $50,127. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.8 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

$31,048

Typical Career

$45,365

Top Performers

$56,092

Estimated break-even: 17.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$302

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,780. Most students can comfortably afford about a $302 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Accommodation & Food Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.5%
Educational Services 16.4%
Accommodation & Food Services 6.7%

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

$50,127

Nominal: $45,365 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).

17.8 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 $33,960 $42,214 $56,116
5 Years After Graduation $31,048 $45,365 $56,092
10 Years After Graduation $36,903 $49,582 $66,514

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 $45,365 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)
= $45,365 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $50,127 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 the College of Coastal Georgia can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $42,214, rising to $45,365 after five years and reaching $49,582 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $50,127, indicating a competitive earning potential relative to the national average, despite the lower cost of living index in Georgia.

The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 42.5% entering this field immediately after graduation, followed by 38.4% and 34.9% in subsequent years. This consistent trend underscores the demand for professionals in this industry. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 17.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable, particularly given the strong job market and growth potential in health care.

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See how the Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree at College of Coastal Georgia stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.