Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions at Virginia Highlands Community College
VA · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.15
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degree from Virginia Highlands Community College earn a median salary of $30,731 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $29,981. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 years.
Quick Insights
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
$24,612
Typical Career
$30,731
Top Performers
$38,320
Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.
Debt-to-Income Check
$205
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,561. Most students can comfortably afford about a $205 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 0.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Retail Trade.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$29,981
Nominal: $30,731 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% lower 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).
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 | $22,616 | $27,237 | $32,639 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $24,612 | $30,731 | $38,320 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $26,764 | $33,372 | $43,047 |
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 $30,731 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $30,731 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250)
= $29,981 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 37.0% of placements, followed by Manufacturing at 27.9% and Health Care & Social Assistance again at 27.7%. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 18.1 years, suggesting that while the initial financial return may take time to realize, the long-term career prospects in these sectors provide a favorable return on investment. Overall, the program offers a viable pathway for students seeking stable employment in essential industries.
Compare with Another School
See how the Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degree at Virginia Highlands Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
Ready to apply?
Start your application for Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions at Virginia Highlands Community College.
Explore More
Other Degrees at Virginia Highlands Community 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.