Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at University of Akron Main Campus

First-year earnings of $44,212 place this program well below what similar IT management programs typically deliver—at the 5th percentile nationally and 25th in Ohio, where the state median sits at $57,229. While the estimated debt load of $25,019 (derived from comparable programs nationally) is manageable in absolute terms, the disconnect between what graduates earn and what peers at other Ohio schools achieve is striking. Franklin University's IT management graduates, for instance, start at $65,120, nearly $21,000 higher, while even mid-tier Ohio programs cluster around $57,000.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57 looks reasonable on paper, but that calculation assumes the estimated debt figure reflects reality for Akron's students—and the suppressed data means we simply don't know. What we do know is that the earnings outcome lags significantly behind both state and national benchmarks for this credential. For a bachelor's degree in a technical field that should command strong starting salaries, falling in the bottom 5% nationally suggests something isn't connecting between this program and employer expectations.

If your child is set on IT management, compare Akron's career placement specifics and curriculum against higher-performing Ohio programs before committing. The earnings gap here is too large to ignore, and in a field where technical skills translate directly to salary, starting $13,000 below the state average creates a meaningful disadvantage that compounds over time.