Computer and Information Sciences at Flathead Valley Community College

An estimated $12,500 in debt for an associate's degree leading to around $36,000 in first-year earnings represents one of the more manageable debt scenarios in higher education. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35 suggests graduates from similar community college tech programs could reasonably handle their loan payments—roughly equivalent to financing a modest car while earning a decent starting wage. The challenge is that these are national estimates rather than outcomes from Flathead Valley specifically, so there's inherent uncertainty about what this particular program delivers in Montana's job market.

The earnings figure aligns almost perfectly with the national median for associate's-level computer science programs, which tells us two things: comparable programs nationwide produce fairly consistent outcomes, and this field generally rewards credential holders with decent entry-level pay. Montana has nine schools offering this degree, but none report sufficient graduate data publicly, making it difficult to assess whether local programs outperform or underperform national averages. What we do know is that computer skills remain in demand across various sectors, even in smaller markets.

For parents, the math looks promising on paper—debt that's roughly one-third of first-year earnings is a threshold many financial advisors consider reasonable. However, the lack of school-specific data means you're essentially betting that Flathead Valley's outcomes mirror those of peer institutions nationally. Before committing, verify that local employers recognize the program's credentials and that graduates actually secure jobs in their field rather than settling for unrelated work.