Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications at Herzing University-Madison

Herzing University-Madison's networking program hits right at Wisconsin's median for starting pay ($43,901), placing it squarely in the middle of the pack among the state's 18 programs. That's not a knock—most students here are paying significantly less debt than competitors. At $30,649, graduates carry about $8,000 more than Wisconsin's typical networking program but still maintain a manageable 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio. With 67% of students on Pell grants, this program serves a working-class population that sees real income gains: earnings jump 14% to nearly $50,000 by year four.

The challenge is the performance gap with Wisconsin's technical colleges. Madison Area Technical College graduates start at $65,324—nearly 50% higher—and several other technical colleges also outpace Herzing by meaningful margins. For families comparing options, that difference compounds quickly over a career. The program performs adequately on a national scale (61st percentile), but within Wisconsin specifically, students might access stronger outcomes elsewhere, particularly if they can attend an in-state technical college where both earnings and debt pictures tend to favor students.

For families committed to Herzing's campus or schedule flexibility, the fundamentals work: debt stays under one year's salary, and earnings rise steadily into the late $40,000s. Just don't skip the comparison shopping with Wisconsin's public technical colleges, where this field appears to deliver substantially better returns.