Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications at Gateway Technical College

Gateway Technical College's networking program sits squarely in the middle of the pack—40th percentile in Wisconsin and 45th nationally—but those numbers deserve some skepticism given the small sample size. The $41,942 starting salary lags behind Wisconsin's state median of $43,901 and falls well short of what graduates earn at Madison Area Technical College ($65,324) or even nearby Western Technical College ($45,381).

The debt load of $22,500 translates to a manageable 0.54 ratio to first-year earnings, and graduates do see modest income growth to $43,825 by year four. That's the good news. The challenging part is that this program doesn't appear to offer any particular advantage—students could potentially access stronger outcomes at other Wisconsin technical colleges for similar debt levels. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a single cohort's experience might be skewing these numbers either direction.

For families committed to the Kenosha area, this program won't sink your finances, but it's worth exploring whether Madison Area Technical College or Western Technical College are viable alternatives. The earnings difference between Gateway and these higher-performing schools could mean an extra $3,000-$23,000 annually—money that compounds significantly over a career.