Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Cowley County Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 suggests a manageable financial start for this IT administration program, though you're working with limited visibility. Based on comparable associate degree programs nationally, graduates typically earn around $41,752 in their first year and carry roughly $17,500 in debt—numbers that align closely with the single Kansas program reporting actual outcomes at Rasmussen University.

What's reassuring is the consistency: whether you look at national peers or Kansas-specific data, the picture stays roughly the same. IT administration associate degrees tend to produce first-year earnings in the low-$40,000s range, which isn't spectacular but provides a reasonable foundation for debt repayment. The estimated debt here is actually lower than both national and state medians for this credential, which works in your favor.

The practical challenge is that you can't verify how Cowley's program specifically performs—whether their curriculum, industry connections, or job placement differs from the average. With 35% of students receiving Pell grants, the school serves a significant population for whom the affordability of this debt load matters considerably. If your child is mechanically inclined and prefers hands-on IT work to extended university study, the numbers suggest this path won't burden them with unmanageable debt, but you'll need to dig into Cowley's specific track record with employer connections and graduate outcomes to know if it delivers on that promise.