Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Guilford College

First-year earnings around $58,000 with $27,000 in debt—numbers drawn from peer IT management programs nationally—suggest a manageable investment on paper. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.47 falls comfortably below the concerning 1.0 threshold, meaning graduates would typically owe less than half their first-year salary. For context, similar programs in North Carolina tend to show stronger outcomes (median earnings of $63,596), and NC A&T State grads in this field start around $73,000. That gap matters when you're comparing options within the state.

The challenge here is uncertainty. With both earnings and debt estimates drawn from other schools' programs, you're essentially betting that Guilford's outcomes will track with national patterns rather than North Carolina's stronger performance or the variability between schools. The college's 84% admission rate and 44% Pell grant population suggest it serves a broad student base, but without actual graduate data, it's impossible to know whether their IT management program delivers results closer to Campbell's $54,000 or NC A&T's $73,000.

For families weighing this decision: the estimated numbers suggest reasonable value if they prove accurate, but consider requesting placement data directly from Guilford's career services or speaking with recent alumni. The difference between national estimates and actual North Carolina outcomes could mean thousands of dollars annually in a field where starting salaries vary considerably by employer and specialization.