Computer Systems Analysis at Austin Peay State University

Austin Peay State's Computer Systems Analysis program produces graduates earning $65,084 in their first year—24% above the national median and ranking in the 85th percentile nationally. For a university with a 96% admission rate and serving a large population of Pell grant recipients (46%), these outcomes are remarkable. Graduates carry $24,279 in debt, roughly half the national typical burden, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37. That means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in less than five months of gross earnings.

The major caveat here is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates were tracked, making these numbers potentially volatile. A few exceptional outcomes could skew the data considerably. It's also worth noting that Computer Systems Analysis is a relatively rare program (only 65 schools nationally offer it), and Austin Peay appears to be the only Tennessee institution tracked for this specific credential. This makes state-level comparisons meaningless but suggests the program might be filling a niche in the regional market.

For families concerned about ROI, the fundamental math here is compelling: strong tech-sector earnings with modest debt at an accessible institution. The risk is that small sample sizes mean individual results could vary significantly from these medians. If your student is confident in their tech aptitude and wants to stay in Tennessee, this looks like a solid bet—just recognize you're working with limited historical data.