Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Neosho County Community College

In Kansas, IT management programs at the associate's level typically produce first-year earnings around $42,000, and Neosho County Community College's program appears to track closely with that benchmark. What gives this program appeal is the debt picture—an estimated $17,500 is notably lower than what peer programs typically report both in Kansas ($20,852) and nationally ($21,480). That translates to a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42, meaning graduates would owe less than half their first-year salary.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates derived from similar programs nationwide, since this specific program's graduate pool is too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes. That means we can't know with certainty how Neosho's graduates specifically perform in the job market or what they actually owe. However, the broader data suggests that associate-level IT management credentials generally lead to modest but stable starting salaries, and community college debt loads tend to be more reasonable than what four-year institutions charge.

For parents weighing this investment, the estimated numbers suggest a two-year credential that shouldn't create crushing debt while opening doors to entry-level tech roles. Just recognize you're betting on this program performing roughly in line with its peers—and given community college economics, that bet seems safer than most.