Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications at Pennsylvania College of Technology

Based on comparable networking programs nationwide, this two-year degree appears positioned at the national median for earnings ($43,276) while carrying below-average debt. The estimated $15,832 in loans translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37—meaning graduates would owe roughly 37% of their first year's salary. That's manageable territory for a technical associate's degree, though it's worth noting Pennsylvania's networking programs typically produce lower starting salaries than the national average, with the state median at $37,112.

The challenge here is visibility: with too few graduates to report actual outcomes, you're essentially betting on whether Penn College's specific program performs like its national peers rather than its Pennsylvania neighbors. The two PA schools with reported data show earnings in the mid-to-high $30,000s, which would make that estimated debt load less comfortable. If this program tracks closer to state norms than national ones, you're looking at a first-year salary that barely covers basics in many Pennsylvania markets, with loan payments taking a bigger bite.

The practical question is whether Penn College's technical focus and industry connections justify confidence in the higher national estimate. If you have evidence—placement rates, employer partnerships, specific certifications—that this program punches above typical Pennsylvania outcomes, the modest debt makes it workable. Without that evidence, you're accepting significant uncertainty about whether graduates will land closer to $43,000 or $37,000, and that $6,000 gap matters considerably when you're starting from a modest salary base.