Business/Commerce at Glendale Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30 is solid territory for any associate degree, and when the estimated figures here—$36,591 in first-year earnings against $11,000 in debt—come from national medians for business programs, they suggest manageable risk. Business associate degrees at community colleges typically serve as either workforce entry points or transfer pathways to four-year programs, and the numbers here reflect that practical orientation.

The earnings estimate sits right at the national median but slightly above California's typical $34,994 for these programs, which matters in a high-cost-of-living state like California. The debt estimate of $11,000 is notably lower than the national median of $13,437, though California business programs generally carry even less debt (median $8,457). Still, keeping borrowing under $12,000 for a two-year credential that could lead to mid-$30,000s earnings represents reasonable value, especially since many community college students pay significantly less through financial aid or fee waivers.

The challenge is that these estimates tell us what comparable programs produce nationally, not what Glendale's specific outcomes look like. For a risk-averse parent, that means treating this as a low-stakes experiment: the debt level won't be crushing if the program underperforms expectations, but you'll want your student to have a clear plan for either immediate employment or transfer to a bachelor's program where business degrees typically show stronger returns.