Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Eastern Virginia Career College

A certificate in IT administration comes with modest estimated debt of around $10,400, putting Eastern Virginia Career College slightly above Virginia's typical debt load for these programs but below the national median. What's less clear is whether the program positions students for immediate employment success—peer programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $42,000, but similar programs within Virginia report substantially lower outcomes at roughly $35,000.

That $7,000 gap between national and state-level estimates matters significantly for families budgeting loan repayment. At the lower Virginia figure, students would see about 29% of their first-year income consumed by debt obligations rather than the 25% suggested by national comparables. For a school serving predominantly working-class students (58% receive Pell grants), this difference determines whether graduates can comfortably manage payments while covering basic living expenses. The uncertainty here stems from limited graduate sample sizes—Eastern Virginia's specific outcomes remain unreported because too few students have completed the program to publish reliable data.

The practical question is whether this certificate provides enough skill development to command the higher national wage or if graduates face Virginia's more modest IT market reality. Given the unknowns, families should treat the $35,000 figure as the more conservative planning baseline and verify what specific employer partnerships or job placement support Eastern Virginia offers before committing.