Computer and Information Sciences at Platt College-Los Angeles

Based on comparable associate's programs nationally, this appears to offer modest but manageable outcomes: estimated first-year earnings around $35,800 and debt near $18,400 translate to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.51. That's reasonable on its face—you'd be borrowing about half what your child might earn in their first year out.

The challenge becomes clearer when you look at California specifically. Similar computer science programs across the state typically produce median earnings of $44,700—nearly $9,000 more than the national baseline this estimate draws from. That gap matters significantly for a program serving mostly Pell-eligible students. Whether Platt's location in the Los Angeles area, its curriculum focus, or employer connections might close that difference isn't something we can determine from peer data alone.

The real question is whether your child needs an associate's degree in computer science at all. Many California community colleges offer these programs at dramatically lower cost, and certificate programs or coding bootcamps might provide faster paths to similar entry-level positions. Contact Platt directly for their actual graduate outcomes—if they're tracking graduates successfully, they should be able to share specifics about job placement, starting salaries, and whether their students are outperforming or underperforming state averages. Without that program-specific data, you're making a significant financial decision based on what similar programs produce elsewhere.