Computer and Information Sciences at Arkansas State University Three Rivers

An estimated debt load of $12,500 puts this program below the national median for computer science associate's degrees, while projected first-year earnings of roughly $36,000 align closely with what similar programs nationwide produce. That 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable repayment—graduates would owe about four months of their expected salary. However, these figures come from peer programs nationally since Arkansas State Three Rivers doesn't have sufficient graduate data to report outcomes yet, making it difficult to assess how this specific campus prepares students compared to established programs like UA-Pulaski Technical College in Little Rock.

The limited sample size that triggers data suppression could signal a newer or smaller program, which cuts both ways. Your child might benefit from more individualized attention in a smaller cohort, but you're also investing without the track record that larger programs provide. Arkansas's median for computer science associate's programs sits at $32,000—about $4,000 below the national figure—so if graduates stay local, the debt burden becomes slightly heavier relative to regional wages.

The fundamentals look reasonable: relatively low debt paired with a credential in a field with genuine employment demand. But you're essentially betting on this program performing at least as well as its peers elsewhere, without direct evidence it does. If your child has admission offers from programs with reported outcomes, particularly those showing stronger earnings, that concrete data is worth serious consideration over these projections.