Computer Programming at Indian Hills Community College

Indian Hills graduates start strong with first-year earnings of $63,559—a figure that outperforms nearly every community college programming program in the country. That's 67% above the national median and even beats Iowa's state median by $12,000. The $12,000 in debt is manageable, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that most four-year computer science programs would envy.

The puzzling part is what happens next: by year four, earnings drop to $56,895. This 10% decline is unusual for tech roles, which typically see growth as developers gain experience. With fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, this could reflect a few specific career paths rather than a program-wide trend. It's possible some graduates take jobs outside pure programming or in lower-cost-of-living areas, or this small sample simply caught an unrepresentative group.

For parents weighing this option, the fundamentals remain solid. Your child would graduate with minimal debt and immediately earn more than most associate-level programmers nationally. Even with the earnings dip, year-four income still exceeds what 75% of programming associate graduates make fresh out of school. Just recognize that the small sample size means these numbers might not tell the whole story—but the starting salary and low debt create plenty of room for your graduate to navigate their early career.