Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson

A certificate in IT administration typically costs around $12,000 at technical colleges like this one, with graduates from similar programs entering the workforce around $42,000. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28 suggests manageable repayment—roughly three months of gross pay to cover the total educational investment.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates. The Department of Education suppresses data when graduate samples are too small, which means we can't see actual outcomes for Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson specifically. What we do know is that among the 684 schools nationally offering this certificate, there's meaningful variation in results. The top quarter of programs see graduates earning $48,000 or more in their first year, while others fall below the $42,000 median. Without knowing where this particular school lands in that range, you're making a decision with limited visibility.

For a short-term credential, the math looks reasonable on paper—a sub-one-year debt burden for workforce entry. But before committing, push the school for concrete outcomes: job placement rates, specific employers hiring their graduates, and what technical skills the curriculum emphasizes versus what Jackson-area employers actually need. The difference between a well-connected program and a generic IT certificate can be the difference between immediate employment and continued job searching.