Computer and Information Sciences at Passaic County Community College

With a student body that's 53% Pell Grant recipients, Passaic County Community College is serving students who need their education investment to pay off quickly. The $31,346 first-year earnings fall short of the national median by over $4,000, but here's the more relevant comparison: among New Jersey's 17 associate programs in computer science, this lands solidly in the middle at the 60th percentile. The $13,575 in debt is actually modest for tech training, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43—you'd owe less than half your first year's salary.

The earnings trajectory shows steady growth to $34,678 by year four, an 11% bump that suggests graduates are gaining traction in the job market. However, these numbers come from a small sample (under 30 graduates), which means a few outliers could skew the picture significantly. One standout performer or a couple of underemployed graduates could dramatically shift these medians.

For families weighing this program, the key question is realistic job placement. If your student can secure an entry-level IT position—network support, help desk, database administration—the debt load won't be crushing. But this isn't a high-ceiling program: even the 75th percentile nationally only reaches $41,710. The small sample size means you should dig deeper into job placement specifics and potentially consider Brookdale Community College, which shows slightly better outcomes at similar cost.