Is University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Worth It?

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is a graduate-only institution focused on physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing, and its financial picture reflects that narrow, clinical mission. With median earnings of $79,150 ten years after enrollment, graduates land in solid healthcare pay bands. That number reads well because everyone here is training for a specific licensed profession, not a general degree with uncertain outcomes.

The return works when your program leads directly to a credential the job market pays for. Doctor of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy graduates enter fields with steady clinical demand, and California, where the San Marcos campus sits, has one of the largest healthcare labor markets in the country. Nursing tracks feed the same reliable demand. This is not a school where you gamble on whether your major has a career attached. the career is the reason the school exists.

The specific risk here is cost and completion. As a private for-profit institution, tuition runs high, and clinical doctoral programs take years and carry heavy debt loads. Your $79,150 median only pays off if you finish, pass licensure, and get hired. Fail the boards or drop out partway through a DPT program, and you carry the debt without the salary that justifies it.

This school fits you if you already know you want to be a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or nurse and are ready to commit to a licensed clinical path. Look elsewhere if you want an undergraduate degree, are undecided about your field, or need a low-cost option, because this is a graduate program with a for-profit price tag.

On net price, higher-income families should expect to pay close to full graduate tuition. Lower-income students will lean heavily on federal loans, so weigh the borrowing against the earnings your specific program supports.