Computer and Information Sciences at Delgado Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32 suggests manageable repayment, but the challenge here is uncertainty. The earnings and debt figures come from national peer programs, not from Delgado's actual graduates, because too few students complete this certificate annually for the Department of Education to publish outcomes. That means we're essentially looking at what's typical for similar computer science certificates nationwide—about $38,900 in first-year earnings against roughly $12,400 in debt—rather than what Delgado specifically delivers.

The field itself shows promise. Computer science credentials generally produce strong entry-level wages, and the national median of $38,858 is decent starting pay for a certificate program that takes less time than a two-year degree. But without knowing whether Delgado's program connects students to New Orleans tech employers effectively, or whether graduates actually land IT jobs rather than unrelated work, you're making a bet on both the program quality and local job market conditions.

For a family considering this investment at a school where 62% of students receive Pell grants, the estimated numbers suggest affordability—if they hold true. The risk is that you won't know until your child completes the program whether these projections match reality. If they're serious about IT work and need credentials quickly, this could work, but consider whether nearby programs with published outcomes might offer more certainty.