Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications at College of the Sequoias

The debt load here makes a difference. Based on comparable programs nationwide, students would leave with roughly $15,800 in loans—about half what similar California programs typically produce. That's the good news. The challenge is that first-year earnings of around $43,300 are essentially identical to both national and state medians, meaning this program doesn't appear to offer any particular advantage in a crowded field with 55 competitors statewide.

That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 suggests manageable repayment under normal circumstances, but you're essentially betting on your child landing a typical IT networking job in California's Central Valley rather than in the more lucrative tech corridors where these credentials tend to pay better. The national data shows relatively little variation in outcomes for this credential—the 75th percentile is only $1,500 higher than the median—which means exceptional performance doesn't dramatically change the financial picture.

For families where $16,000 in debt feels reasonable and local employment in Visalia or surrounding areas is the goal, this could work. But if your child has access to similarly priced programs in metro areas with stronger tech employment markets, those might offer better networking opportunities and job placement, even if the credential itself looks identical on paper. The estimates suggest adequate value, not exceptional value.