Business/Commerce at Rochester Community and Technical College

Minnesota's business associate degree programs typically produce first-year earnings around $40,000, but this program's estimated figures—drawn from national medians—suggest starting wages closer to $36,600. That's roughly $3,600 below what nearby Century College and Anoka-Ramsey graduates are actually earning, though without reported outcomes for this specific program, it's difficult to know whether Rochester grads match their state peers or the lower national pattern.

The estimated debt load of $19,750 aligns with Minnesota's state median for similar programs, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54. That's manageable by most standards—graduates would be borrowing about half their expected first-year income. However, business degrees at the associate level generally carry lower debt nationally (around $13,400), so Minnesota students appear to be taking on considerably more to earn the same credential.

The real uncertainty here is whether this program delivers outcomes closer to Minnesota's stronger-than-average business programs or falls back to the national median used for these estimates. With 29% of students receiving Pell grants, affordability matters for a significant portion of the student body. If your child has options at Century or Anoka-Ramsey—schools with confirmed earnings near $40,000—those represent safer bets with known outcomes rather than estimated projections.