Is Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging Worth It?

Bon Secours St Mary's Hospital School of Medical Imaging trains you for one thing: medical imaging. This is a two-year private-nonprofit school with a single credential path, and the financial picture depends entirely on whether that path fits you.

The signal here is strong. Ten years out, median earnings land at $65,432, which is solid for a two-year associate program and beats what many four-year graduates see. That gap between the associate program's listed $45,383 and the $65,432 median tells you that imaging pays off as you gain experience and certifications on the job.

Richmond is a hospital town, and Bon Secours is a major health system in it. Training inside a working hospital system, in a field with steady clinical demand, keeps your job risk low compared with general two-year degrees that lead nowhere specific.

The risk is narrowness. This is not a place to explore. If you finish the imaging program and stay in the field, the numbers work in your favor. If you decide medical imaging is not for you partway through, there is no second major to fall back on, and your credits may not transfer cleanly to a traditional college.

On cost, use the net price tiers by income band shown above rather than any sticker figure. Lower-income families should check the bottom tiers closely, since a two-year program keeps total borrowing smaller than a four-year degree even at similar annual prices.

This school is a good fit for you if you already know you want a clinical imaging career and want to earn credentials fast. Look elsewhere if you want a broad education, flexibility to change fields, or a bachelor's degree. For a committed imaging student, the return is one of the better bets in a two-year program.