Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications at Ohio University-Southern Campus

Ohio University-Southern's networking program reports strong starting earnings of nearly $62,000, but the extremely small graduating class—fewer than 30 students—makes these numbers less reliable than typical program data. That said, the $19,500 debt load is genuinely attractive, coming in well below both the national median ($27,000) and most comparable programs. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.32, graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under four months of gross salary, assuming they land jobs near the median.

The earnings figures place this program at the 75th percentile nationally and 60th within Ohio, which sounds impressive until you notice something odd: all five Ohio University campuses report identical earnings numbers. This suggests the data may be aggregated across the university system rather than reflecting outcomes specific to the Southern campus in Ironton. The 12% growth in earnings from year one to year four is solid but unremarkable for a technical field.

The bottom line: The low debt is real and valuable, but the small sample size and suspiciously uniform earnings across all Ohio University campuses should make parents cautious about treating these salary figures as campus-specific predictions. If your student is comparing in-state options and can verify graduate outcomes through the program directly, the debt advantage makes this worth investigating further—just don't bank on those exact salary numbers.