Computer Science at Mohave Community College

A debt load around $12,500 for an associate's degree in computer science seems reasonable on paper—that's a manageable burden even if earnings start modest. National data from peer programs suggests first-year earnings near $39,000, which would put the debt-to-earnings ratio at a solid 0.32. That's the kind of number that shouldn't keep anyone up at night.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates. Both the earnings and debt figures come from comparable programs nationally because Mohave's graduate cohort was too small to report. Arizona has 13 community colleges offering computer science associate's degrees, but none have published actual outcomes data recently. That's not Mohave's fault—it's a data suppression issue that affects many smaller programs—but it does mean you're making this decision without knowing how Mohave's specific graduates have fared.

What we can say is that the estimated numbers align with what you'd expect from a community college tech program: moderate debt and entry-level technical earnings. If your student plans to transfer to a four-year program, this could be a cost-effective first step. If they're planning to enter the workforce directly with an associate's, verify what local employers actually hire for with this credential—that matters more than national averages in a market like Kingman. Connect with Mohave's career services to understand where recent graduates have actually landed jobs.