How much debt do Ohio State pre-health studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,334, which ranks 2nd lowest of 6 pre-health studies bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $237 a month over 10 years.

Is a pre-health studies degree from Ohio State worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 56% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 72%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 5% or less.

Do Ohio State pre-health studies graduates stay in Ohio?

Most do. 84% (32 of 38) were working in Ohio one year after graduating.

Ohio State Pre-Health Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
Public university
Columbus, OH

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Ohio State pre-health studies graduates earn more than graduates of most pre-health studies programs nationally, $39,642 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $22,334 in federal loans, less than at 84% of pre-health studies programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying pre-health studies degrees in Ohio.

First-year earnings$39,64278th percentile of 32 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$65,85666% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,3342nd lowest of 6 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings56%Ohio median 74%, national 72%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Ohio and national columns are the medians across all pre-health studies bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Ohio State	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$39,642	$33,071	$33,330
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$65,856	$62,719	$65,466
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,334	$24,794	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	56%	74%	72%
Programs compared		6	32

Five years out, Ohio State graduates earn about the national figure and about $3,138 more than the Ohio median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Ohio pre-health studies program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Ohio medians.

Ohio StateOther Ohio programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 66% between the first and fifth year.

Ohio State grads, year 1$39,642

Ohio State grads, year 5$65,856

All Ohio pre-health studies grads, year 5$62,719

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $25,450 against $19,125.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$43,825Median debt $25,450

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$35,814Median debt $19,125

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $237 a month, or 7.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (294 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	15–19%
Paying down the balance	25–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	5–9%
In default	5% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

84% of graduates (32 of 38) were working in Ohio one year after graduating. Prices in the Columbus area are about 5% below the national average, so a $39,642 salary here buys what about $41,523 buys in a typical US city.

About Ohio State

In-state tuition and fees	$13,244 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$40,022 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,339 / year
Admission rate	61%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	88%
Undergraduate students	45,638

Pre-Health Studies ranks 58th of 98 bachelor's programs at Ohio State by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($83,342), Applied Mathematics ($82,523), and Computer and Information Science ($82,448).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $39,642 one year after graduating and $65,856 five years after. The median across pre-health studies bachelor's programs in Ohio is $33,071.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Ohio comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the pre-health studies program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Pre-Health Studies bachelor's programs in Ohio, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Pre-Health Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked32 programs by pay and debt All Ohio State programs, ranked104 programs by pay and debt