Social Sciences at Harrisburg Area Community College

At first glance, Harrisburg Area Community College's Social Sciences associate's program looks like it performs just above average—sitting at the 60th percentile among Pennsylvania programs—but the debt burden tells a much different story. The $23,500 in typical debt is more than 2.5 times the national median for this program, landing it in the bottom 5% nationally for debt burden. While graduates do see solid income growth (from $27,600 to $34,575 over four years), they're carrying far more debt than they should be for an associate's degree in social sciences.

The fundamental problem is affordability. With first-year debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.85, graduates are borrowing nearly a full year's salary for a two-year program where most schools keep median debt under $10,000. Even as earnings climb 25% by year four, that debt load remains excessive for what's typically a stepping stone credential. The moderate sample size means these numbers aren't outliers—this is the actual experience of dozens of graduates.

If your child is certain about social sciences and plans to transfer to complete a bachelor's degree, consider whether starting here makes financial sense given the debt. The earnings themselves are reasonable, but accumulating $23,500 in debt before even starting a four-year program could compound into a serious burden. Look at community colleges with similar transfer pathways but lower average debt loads.