Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Ross Medical Education Center-Brighton

Something troubling emerges in the four-year earnings data for this program. While comparable IT management associate's programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $41,752, the actual reported figure for Ross Brighton graduates four years out drops to $29,721—nearly $12,000 lower. That backward slide is unusual enough to warrant serious attention, especially when you're looking at an estimated $25,849 in debt.

The debt-to-earnings picture based on peer programs appears manageable at first glance—the 0.62 ratio falls within reasonable bounds for associate's degrees. But that calculation assumes the national trajectory holds, and the reported four-year earnings suggest it doesn't. If graduates are actually earning closer to $30,000 rather than progressing beyond $41,000, that debt becomes considerably harder to service. For context, Baker College's IT management graduates in Michigan earn $35,380 in their first year with similar debt levels, providing a more stable foundation.

With 72% of students receiving Pell grants, most families here can't absorb a program that underperforms its peer group. The four-year earnings decline could reflect many factors—program quality, local job market challenges, or simply the small graduate cohort skewing the data. But without clearer evidence that graduates follow the typical upward trajectory seen in comparable programs, this represents a higher-risk investment than the estimated figures alone would suggest.