Computer and Information Sciences at Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Livingston

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32 looks manageable on paper, but there's a critical caveat: both the $38,858 first-year salary and $12,448 debt load are estimated from peer programs nationwide, not from actual outcomes for TCAT-Livingston graduates. These estimates suggest you'd need about four months of gross income to cover the debt—a reasonable starting point for a technical certificate. However, the national figures mask considerable variation. Computer certificate programs nationally show earnings ranging from roughly $30,000 to $45,000, and your child's actual experience could fall anywhere in that spectrum depending on the specific skills taught, local job markets, and employer recognition of TCAT-Livingston's particular program.

What's uncertain here is whether this rural Tennessee institution connects effectively to regional tech employers. Applied technology colleges typically excel when they have strong local industry partnerships, but Livingston's remote location may limit internship opportunities and job placement compared to programs near Nashville or Chattanooga. The relatively low Pell grant rate (18%) might indicate a student body with more resources to weather unexpected outcomes, but it doesn't tell you whether graduates actually land jobs that justify even modest debt.

Before committing, insist on program-specific placement data directly from TCAT-Livingston—where graduates work, what roles they fill, and actual starting salaries. Without that transparency, you're betting on national averages that may not reflect this school's real-world track record.