Accounting at Northwest Mississippi Community College

Northwest Mississippi Community College's accounting associate's program delivers exactly what you'd expect from a small-town community college: rock-bottom debt ($10,822 versus a national median of $19,354) but significantly lower earnings than most accounting programs. Starting at $28,725, graduates earn about $8,000 less than the national median for this degree, landing in just the 12th percentile nationally.

Here's the Mississippi twist that matters: those same earnings place this program at the state's median—60th percentile among the 16 accounting programs in Mississippi. The state's accounting market simply pays less across the board, which makes the low debt load more relevant. At a 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates face manageable payments, and earnings do climb 21% to nearly $35,000 by year four. For students planning to work in Mississippi rather than relocate, this program's value proposition looks considerably stronger than the national comparison suggests.

The major caveat: these figures come from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary significantly. But if your child is debt-averse and planning to stay in Mississippi, this represents a low-risk entry point into accounting. If they're hoping to maximize earnings or work elsewhere, they're starting from behind.