Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Bossier Parish Community College

With a small but encouraging dataset, Bossier Parish Community College's IT program shows Louisiana students beating their state options while keeping costs reasonable. At $17,500 in debt, graduates carry 20% less than the Louisiana median, while earning $49,710 by year four—placing them in the 60th percentile among the state's four IT programs. That 24% earnings jump from year one to year four suggests graduates are gaining marketable skills that employers value.

The bigger question is whether this program justifies its cost compared to starting work immediately in an entry-level IT role. First-year earnings of $40,080 barely clear what many helpdesk positions pay, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 means your child would owe roughly five months of gross income. However, the trajectory matters: by year four, they're approaching $50,000 and potentially positioned for supervisor or specialist roles that require formal credentials.

The catch is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates means one outlier could skew these numbers significantly. For a family concerned about risk, that uncertainty matters. Still, for Louisiana residents choosing between in-state IT programs, this represents a middle-of-the-pack option that costs less than alternatives and shows genuine earnings growth. If your child needs the structure of a community college to build technical skills, this works—just don't expect it to fast-track them past peers who started working immediately.