Business Administration, Management and Operations at Ashland Community and Technical College

Ashland Community and Technical College's business certificate produces earnings that land squarely in the middle for Kentucky—at the 60th percentile—even though it trails the national average by about $3,500. More importantly, graduates here carry $20,584 in debt, roughly $8,500 more than typical Kentucky students in similar programs and $6,000 above the national median. That debt load creates a 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe over half their first year's salary—a significant burden for a certificate program.

The numbers suggest parents should look closely at other Kentucky community colleges offering this certificate. Programs at Owensboro and Elizabethtown produce graduates earning $5,000-$6,000 more annually with comparable or lower debt loads. Even if Ashland's location is ideal, that debt premium is hard to justify when earnings don't compensate for it.

One major caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances might vary considerably. Still, the pattern of higher-than-typical debt for middle-of-the-pack earnings raises red flags. For a certificate program serving many Pell-eligible students (43%), keeping debt below $15,000 should be the goal. If your child can access one of the stronger-performing Kentucky programs nearby, that's likely the smarter financial move.