Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Lewis-Clark State College

Based on comparable IT administration programs nationwide, Lewis-Clark State College's associate degree carries an estimated $17,500 in debt—meaningfully less than the national median of $21,480 for this credential. That lower debt load matters when paired with first-year earnings that peer programs typically produce around $41,752, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 that suggests manageable repayment.

Idaho's IT market presents an interesting wrinkle. The only in-state program with reported data—College of Western Idaho—shows graduates earning $35,040, roughly $6,700 less than the national benchmark this estimate draws from. That gap could reflect Idaho's lower cost of living and wage scales in tech support roles, or it might suggest the national estimate overstates what Lewis-Clark graduates actually achieve in regional job markets. Either way, even at Idaho's lower earnings level, the estimated debt would still consume less than half a first-year salary.

The bigger uncertainty here is whether Lewis-Clark's specific program prepares graduates as effectively as the peer institutions used to generate these estimates. With 90% of applicants admitted and only 24% receiving Pell grants, this is a relatively accessible regional college serving a different population than some larger IT programs might. If the teaching quality and industry connections match those peer schools, the lighter debt burden creates room for error. If they don't, you're paying for credentials that may not translate into those estimated earnings in Idaho's smaller tech ecosystem.