Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Moreno Valley College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.26 suggests this certificate could deliver solid value, though families should understand these figures come from comparable IT programs across California and the nation, not Moreno Valley's specific outcomes. Similar California programs typically produce first-year earnings around $45,575, which sits right at the state median and notably above the $42,271 national benchmark. At an estimated $12,000 in debt—manageable for a credential that takes less time than a bachelor's—graduates would need roughly three months of earnings to cover their borrowing.

The challenge is uncertainty. With only 20% of students receiving Pell grants, this program serves a less economically vulnerable population than many community colleges, but the suppressed data means we can't verify whether Moreno Valley's graduates actually match the state's typical outcomes. Some California schools in this field push students above $50,000 in their first year, while others fall short of $44,000. Where Moreno Valley lands on that spectrum matters significantly for calculating return on investment.

For families comfortable with that ambiguity, the fundamentals look reasonable—IT skills remain in demand, and the debt burden is modest for a technical credential. But if your child has options at schools with published outcomes (like MTI College or Southern California Institute of Technology), those programs offer more certainty about what to expect post-graduation.