Student Debt vs. Early Earnings in Utah
Median federal loan debt relative to ten-year earnings across Utah institutions with reported data.
Debt-to-earnings ratios range from 7% (Ensign College) to 89% (Careers Unlimited). Community college graduates median $4K federal debt vs. $8K for for-profit at overlapping earnings medians in Part 3.
Low net price does not mean low debt. Median federal loan debt relative to ten-year earnings ranges from Ensign College (7%) to Careers Unlimited (89% of year-10 earnings in median debt) among Utah institutions with both fields — while community college graduates median $4K debt and for-profit graduates median $8K at similar six-year earnings in Part 3.
- Assumption
- Affordable net price means graduates borrow little or repay easily.
- Question
- How does median federal loan debt compare to ten-year earnings by Utah institution?
- Evidence
- College Scorecard DEBT_MDN and MD_EARN_WNE_P10 · 41 institutions with both fields
- Finding
- The evidence suggests wide debt-to-earnings spread (Ensign College (7%) to Careers Unlimited (89% of year-10 earnings in median debt)) and pathway medians where community college debt ($4K) and for-profit debt ($8K) diverge despite overlapping earnings medians.
- Limits
- Federal loans only; excludes Parent PLUS and private debt; simplified ratio, not a federal DTE score.
- This part compares median federal loan debt to median earnings ten years after entry — a simplified affordability signal, not ED's program-level DTE score.
- Ratios among Utah institutions with both fields range from 7% to 89% of year-10 earnings in median debt.
- Part 5 net price and Part 8 debt answer different questions. Low sticker net price does not guarantee low borrowing.
$27K ÷ $31K × 100 = 89%
Example: Careers Unlimited — median federal loan debt divided by median earnings ten years after entry. Lower is better. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded.
- Does high completion mean manageable debt?
- Not necessarily. Part 7 reports whether students finish; this part reports borrowing burden among graduates with reported debt fields.
- Why ten-year earnings, not six-year?
- Scorecard pairs DEBT_MDN with MD_EARN_WNE_P10 in this table. Part 3 uses six-year earnings for pathway comparisons — same institutions, different horizon.
- Is this Parent PLUS debt?
- No. Median federal student loan debt for completers. Parent PLUS appears on school profiles separately.
- Highest debt-to-earnings ratio: Careers Unlimited (89% of year-10 earnings in median debt).
- Lowest ratio: Ensign College (7%).
- Covers 41 Utah institutions with both debt and earnings fields, not USHE-only.
We compare median federal loan debt1 to median earnings ten years after entry2 for each Utah institution with reported data. This is a simplified affordability signal, not a full debt-to-earnings program score.
Debt-to-earnings compares median federal loan debt to median earnings ten years after entry. USHE community college graduates median $4K debt with $38K six-year earnings in Part 3. For-profit graduates median $8K debt at the same six-year earnings median ($25K).
Part 7 completion rates describe whether students finish; this part describes borrowing burden among those who do. High completion in Part 7 does not imply favorable debt ratios here.
Source: College Scorecard · 41 Utah institutions with data
Lower is better. Does not include Parent PLUS or private loans.
All institutions
| Institution | Sector | Median debt | Earn. (10 yr) | Debt % of earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Careers Unlimited | for profit | $27K | $31K | 89% |
| Provo College | for profit | $24K | $40K | 61% |
| Eagle Gate College-Murray | for profit | $20K | $38K | 53% |
| Eagle Gate College-Layton | for profit | $20K | $38K | 53% |
| Taylor Andrews Academy-St George | for profit | $7K | $17K | 40% |
| Nightingale College | for profit | $10K | $27K | 39% |
| Healing Mountain Massage School | for profit | $8K | $22K | 37% |
| Aveda Institute-Provo | for profit | $7K | $20K | 34% |
| Fortis College-Salt Lake City | for profit | $12K | $35K | 33% |
| Collectiv Academy | for profit | $9K | $29K | 31% |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Logan | for profit | $7K | $24K | 30% |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Provo | for profit | $8K | $27K | 29% |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Salt Lake City | for profit | $8K | $27K | 29% |
| Skin Science Institute | for profit | $8K | $27K | 28% |
| Utah County Campus | for profit | $8K | $27K | 28% |
| Westminster University | private nonprofit | $18K | $66K | 28% |
| American Beauty Academy | for profit | $6K | $20K | 28% |
| American Beauty Academy-West Valley Campus | for profit | $6K | $20K | 28% |
| Arizona College of Nursing-Salt Lake City | for profit | $10K | $35K | 27% |
| Galen Health Institutes-Salt Lake City | for profit | $16K | $61K | 27% |
| Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design-West Jordan | for profit | $10K | $36K | 26% |
| Taylor Andrews Academy of Hair Design-Provo | for profit | $10K | $36K | 26% |
| Myotherapy Massage College | for profit | $8K | $32K | 26% |
| Renaissance Academie | for profit | $6K | $22K | 26% |
| Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences | for profit | $10K | $50K | 21% |
| University of Utah | USHE four-year | $14K | $67K | 21% |
| Avalon Institute-Layton | for profit | $6K | $31K | 20% |
| Paul Mitchell the School-St. George | for profit | $7K | $38K | 19% |
| Skinworks School of Advanced Skincare | for profit | $6K | $36K | 18% |
| Utah State University | USHE four-year | $10K | $54K | 18% |
| Weber State University | USHE four-year | $10K | $56K | 17% |
| Cameo College of Essential Beauty | for profit | $5K | $32K | 17% |
| Utah Tech University | USHE four-year | $7K | $45K | 16% |
| Utah Valley University | USHE four-year | $9K | $55K | 16% |
| Southern Utah University | USHE four-year | $8K | $50K | 15% |
| Western Governors University | private nonprofit | $8K | $61K | 14% |
| Snow College | USHE community | $4K | $41K | 11% |
| Snow College-Richfield Campus | public | $4K | $41K | 11% |
| Brigham Young University | private nonprofit | $8K | $76K | 11% |
| Salt Lake Community College | USHE community | $4K | $48K | 9% |
| Ensign College | private nonprofit | $4K | $51K | 7% |
- Debt-to-earnings ranges from 7% (Ensign College) to 89% (Careers Unlimited).
- For-profit graduates median $8K debt vs. $4K for community college — about $4K more — at overlapping six-year earnings medians in Part 3.
- Several for-profit institutions combine high Part 7 completion with steep debt ratios here.
Three chain links: cost, completion, and debt
Families often weigh net price (Part 5) and completion (Part 7) separately from borrowing. This matrix shows why all three matter.
| Favorable signal | Caution signal | |
|---|---|---|
| Part 5 net price (low-income) | USHE technical $3K | For-profit $19K |
| Part 7 completion | For-profit 49.7% | USHE four-year 52.7% |
| Part 8 median debt | Community college $4K | For-profit $8K |
Institution and pathway medians — not prescriptions. Program-level debt is on school profiles and the Program ROI brief.
Key takeaway: Low net price in Part 5 does not guarantee low debt. Community college and for-profit pathways can report similar earnings medians with very different borrowing burdens.
Technical note: DEBT_MDN ÷ MD_EARN_WNE_P10 per institution. Federal student loans only; simplified ratio, not federal DTE.
What this means
Debt-to-earnings ratios range from Ensign College (7%) to Careers Unlimited (89% of year-10 earnings in median debt) among Utah institutions with both fields. Pathway medians: community college $4K debt, for-profit $8K, USHE four-year $9K. Part 5 net-price medians for the same groups were $7K, $19K, and $10K. Borrowing and sticker net price are related but not identical measures.
What this means for you
Find yourself below. Each bullet turns this report's evidence into a practical next step — not a prescription.
- Students Before you borrow, compare loan debt to expected pay at each school on your list.
- Families Read Part 5 net price and this debt table together. USHE four-year median debt is $9K with $46K six-year earnings in Part 3.
- School counselors High completion in Part 7 does not imply favorable debt ratios here — cross-check institution rows in both tables before recommending for-profit certificate programs.
- Policymakers For-profit pathway median debt ($8K) exceeds community college ($4K) while six-year earnings medians overlap — borrowing burden is a separate policy lever from net price.
- Part 5 — Net price medians for the same pathway groups (USHE community $7K, for-profit $19K).
- Part 3 — Six-year earnings ($38K community vs $25K for-profit) paired with ten-year earnings in this part's debt ratio.
- Part 7 — Completion rates (49.7% for-profit pathway median) alongside borrowing outcomes here.
Sources & methodology
- College Scorecard DEBT_MDN and MD_EARN_WNE_P10
- Utah institution registry · 63 institutions
- Utah school profiles (program-level completions where reported)
Pathways & Outcomes original analysis; cite the report and link to the primary URL. Data vintage: College Scorecard Utah subset · see part sources.
APA: Pathways and Outcomes. (2026). Student Debt vs. Early Earnings in Utah. https://pathwaysandoutcomes.org/utah/research/utah-debt-vs-earnings/
Pathways & Outcomes uses AI tools to help draft reports and data briefs from verified public data and analysis. A human editor reviews every publication for accuracy, data consistency, clarity, methodology alignment, and discrepancies before release. AI does not determine what we investigate, what we publish, or what conclusions we reach. Editorial policy · About our team
Published June 10, 2026
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