Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at St Cloud Technical and Community College

Similar IT administration programs across Minnesota suggest this associate's degree produces starting salaries around $44,500 and debts near $18,000—numbers that look promising on their face. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40, graduates would owe less than half their first year's salary, a manageable burden that many borrowers could repay within a few years. The fact that earnings appear to climb to nearly $50,000 by year four indicates steady early-career growth in a field with sustained demand.

What's harder to assess is where St Cloud Tech specifically fits among Minnesota's 20 IT programs. Schools like Dakota County Technical College and Hennepin Technical College report significantly higher starting salaries—pushing $47,000 to $49,000—which raises questions about curriculum differences, employer connections, or regional job markets. Without actual graduate outcomes from St Cloud, you're essentially betting that this program performs somewhere in the middle of the state's range rather than at the bottom.

For parents evaluating this investment, the estimated figures point to reasonable value if they hold true, but the uncertainty matters. Before committing, confirm job placement rates directly with the school and ask whether their graduates typically work in the Twin Cities metro (where salaries run higher) or remain in the St Cloud area. The difference could be several thousand dollars annually—and that gap compounds over a career.