Management Information Systems and Services at Berkeley College-New York

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59 suggests this MIS associate's degree could be manageable—based on comparable programs nationally, graduates typically earn around $46,000 in their first year while carrying roughly $27,400 in debt. That's a monthly payment of about $300 on a standard 10-year plan, consuming around 9% of take-home pay. For an associate's degree in a technical field with clear career pathways, these numbers fall within what most financial advisors consider workable territory.

The challenge is that we're working entirely with estimates here. With only two schools offering this program in New York and no reported outcomes data available for comparison, it's difficult to know whether Berkeley College's specific version delivers better or worse results than the national picture suggests. The school serves a predominantly working-class population (54% receive Pell grants), which could indicate strong support systems for first-generation students—or simply reflect accessibility. What matters most is whether the program connects students to actual IT jobs in New York's competitive market, where entry-level tech salaries can vary dramatically by company and role.

Your best move is to request Berkeley's own job placement data: where recent graduates work, what titles they hold, and which companies recruit from the program. If they can't provide specifics beyond generic claims, that's informative in itself. The estimated numbers suggest potential viability, but you need concrete evidence that this particular program delivers on that promise.