Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at South Mountain Community College

With first-year earnings around $42,000 and estimated debt of $17,500, this IT management associate's degree appears positioned in solid financial territory. The 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning graduates would owe less than half their first salary—suggests manageable repayment, particularly compared to many community college programs where debt can exceed annual income. The estimated debt also comes in below the national median of $21,480 for similar programs.

The challenge here is that both figures derive from peer institutions rather than South Mountain's actual graduates, leaving significant uncertainty about this specific program's outcomes. Phoenix's robust tech sector could mean stronger local employment prospects than the national average suggests, but without reported data from South Mountain or comparable Arizona programs, there's no way to verify whether graduates actually achieve these earnings or accumulate more or less debt. The 27% Pell grant rate indicates the program serves some economically disadvantaged students, for whom even moderate debt carries different risk.

For parents, this estimated profile suggests reasonable potential—IT associate's degrees generally lead to employment, and the projected numbers aren't alarming. However, before committing, ask South Mountain directly about job placement rates, which employers hire their graduates, and whether students typically transfer to four-year programs rather than entering the workforce immediately. The real-world path matters more than estimates when the actual outcomes remain unknown.