Computer and Information Sciences at Ohio University-Southern Campus

An estimated debt load of $12,500 positions this associate's degree well below both the national median ($14,932) and especially the Ohio state median ($29,500) for computer science programs. With first-year earnings from similar programs typically around $35,761, graduates would face a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.35—meaning the debt equals about four months of gross income.

The challenge with this program is that both the earnings and debt figures come from national benchmarks rather than actual outcomes from Ohio University-Southern Campus itself. Similar associate's programs in computer science nationwide produce that $35,761 median, but Ohio's tech market and this rural Appalachian location could create different realities. The low Pell grant percentage (12%) suggests this campus primarily serves students with more financial resources, which might reflect the local economic environment rather than the program's selectivity.

For families in the Ironton area, this represents a lower-cost entry point into tech fields compared to what other Ohio programs typically charge. The question is whether local employers value this credential enough to deliver those national median salaries. Before committing, your student should connect with the campus's career services to understand where recent graduates actually landed jobs and at what pay—that ground-level intelligence matters more than these national estimates when you're investing in a regional campus serving a specific labor market.