Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Siena Heights University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48 looks manageable on paper, but the story here is what we don't know. Both the $56,000 first-year salary and $27,000 debt figure come from peer programs—six IT programs across Michigan for earnings, and similar private nonprofit schools nationally for debt—because this specific program's graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to publish. That small cohort itself raises questions about program resources, employer connections, and job placement support that often come with more established programs.

The estimated earnings land right at Michigan's median for this degree, but significantly trail programs like Michigan Tech ($77,810) and even regional competitors like Eastern Michigan ($59,433). Whether Siena Heights can actually deliver outcomes comparable to these larger state schools is uncertain. The college serves a meaningful population of first-generation students (31% on Pell grants), which matters for social mobility, but the question becomes whether the support infrastructure matches the tuition investment when the program itself appears to graduate very few students.

For parents, this creates a difficult choice: you're being asked to commit to a program where the actual graduate outcomes are unknown, and the estimated figures suggest middle-of-the-pack results at best. If your child has options at Michigan's larger public universities with proven IT placement records, those merit serious consideration. If Siena Heights offers something unique—smaller classes, specific mentorship, geographic proximity—get concrete data on internship placements and job outcomes before signing on.