Business/Commerce at Harrisburg Area Community College

Harrisburg Area Community College's business associate degree sits squarely in the middle—ranking at the 60th percentile among Pennsylvania programs while matching the national median for earnings. Starting at $36,708 and climbing to just over $39,000 by year four, graduates earn slightly more than typical community college business grads in the state. That 7% growth isn't dramatic, but it's steady progress in the right direction.

The real concern here is debt. At nearly $20,000, graduates carry significantly more than both the state median ($12,915) and national median ($13,437) for this credential. That means your child would be borrowing 50% more than peers at similar programs while earning roughly the same income. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 is manageable—graduates can realistically pay this off—but when you compare it to top-performing Pennsylvania community colleges like Lehigh Carbon (where grads earn $47,000), the tradeoff becomes clearer.

If your child can keep borrowing under $15,000 through scholarships, family support, or part-time work, this becomes a more reasonable investment. The earnings are acceptable and the program serves a third of its students from lower-income backgrounds successfully. But at the full debt load shown here, you're paying premium prices for middle-of-the-pack outcomes. Consider whether nearby alternatives might deliver similar credentials at lower cost.