Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
71
Optimistic
73
Base Case
71
Pessimistic
Earnings
$56,721/yr (-14% vs median)
AI Risk
Moderate (24% exposed)
Job Market
Large (79,700 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $650K | $593K | $500K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 18.1x | 16.5x | 13.9x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 4.1x | 3.8x | 3.2x |
| Viable Career Paths | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 | 6 of 6 |
| DegreeWorth Score | 71 | 73 | 71 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$35,956
Out-of-state: $157,320
Median Debt at Graduation
$17,500
3.7 months of Year 1 earnings
Career Paths
Where Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 79,700 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health specialties teachers, postsecondary | $105,620 | 27,400 | +17.3% | 48% |
| Surgical technologists | $62,830 | 7,000 | +4.5% | 7% |
| Health technologists and technicians, all other | $48,790 | 13,600 | +5.2% | 52% |
| Medical equipment preparers | $46,490 | 10,900 | +10.0% | 11% |
| Phlebotomists | $43,660 | 18,400 | +5.6% | 18% |
| Ophthalmic laboratory technicians | $38,420 | 2,400 | +2.3% | 9% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DegreeWorth Score for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
This program scores 73/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 71 (optimistic) to 71 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates retain 6 of 6 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $500,333 (pessimistic) to $650,243 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research graduates?
The career paths mapped to Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research have roughly 79,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 16.5x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 13.9x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2025.