Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Garrett College

A 0.28 debt-to-earnings ratio is unusually manageable for an undergraduate certificate, but that picture comes with uncertainty. Based on peer programs nationally, this credential typically produces first-year earnings around $42,000—right at the national median for IT administration certificates—while graduates would owe roughly $12,000. That's about $4,900 less than similar programs carry in Maryland, where the typical certificate generates nearly $17,000 in debt.

The math works: you'd be borrowing less than three months of expected income, which falls well below the "safe" threshold of one year's salary. The challenge is that we're working with estimates derived from comparable programs elsewhere, not actual outcomes from Garrett College graduates. Whether this specific program delivers on that $42,000 figure depends on factors the data can't capture—curriculum quality, employer connections in rural Western Maryland, and how well the certificate translates to job opportunities in a region far from Baltimore or Washington's tech corridors.

For an anxious parent, the estimated debt load is light enough that even if earnings come in below projections, your child isn't trapped with unmanageable payments. But before committing, talk to the college's career services about where recent certificate holders actually landed jobs and at what salaries. The numbers suggest reasonable value; local employment realities will tell you if that holds true in McHenry.