Computer Programming at Community College of Rhode Island

The small sample size here demands caution, but the numbers tell a story worth examining. CCRI graduates earn about $4,300 less than the national median for associate-level computer programming—landing them in just the 5th percentile nationally. Yet within Rhode Island's limited market of three schools offering this program, they actually hit the state median and rank in the 60th percentile. This suggests Rhode Island's tech sector may simply pay less for entry-level associate degree holders than other states, though with only three programs to compare against, the state context is limited.

The positive news is debt: at $11,000, graduates carry roughly $6,000 less than the national median, resulting in a manageable 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio. For a community college serving a 43% Pell-eligible population, keeping debt low matters enormously. A graduate earning $33,781 can realistically handle $11,000 in loans, even if that salary feels modest compared to what programming graduates earn elsewhere in the country.

The real question is whether these earnings represent a starting point or a ceiling. If graduates can leverage this associate degree into higher-paying positions or use it as a stepping stone to a bachelor's degree, the low debt makes it a reasonable risk. But if $33,781 represents the typical trajectory, families should know this puts them well behind national earning potential for programming graduates—even those with two-year degrees.