Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Olympic College

The debt load tells an encouraging story here: at an estimated $12,000, this certificate represents a relatively modest investment for entry into IT work. Based on national patterns from similar programs, graduates typically earn around $42,000 in their first year—resulting in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28 that's considered manageable by most financial planning standards. That means borrowers could potentially pay off the credential in under a year if they dedicated a quarter of their gross income to debt repayment, though few do this in practice.

What's harder to assess is Olympic College's specific outcomes. Because the program is small, the Department of Education doesn't publish actual graduate data, so these figures come from peer programs nationally. Washington has 24 schools offering similar certificates, but none have reported outcomes data either, leaving parents without local comparables. The broader IT market in the Seattle-Tacoma area typically offers strong opportunities for credentialed workers, but there's no way to know whether Olympic's specific connections, curriculum, or placement support match those regional opportunities.

The modest debt makes this a relatively low-risk bet if your student is certain about IT as a career path. But without actual graduate outcomes from Olympic or even peer Washington programs, you're investing based on national averages rather than evidence about what this particular program delivers. Ask the college directly about job placement rates and where recent graduates are working.