Computer Programming at Wake Technical Community College

The four-year earnings figure tells the real story here: graduates from this program earn a reported $64,169 four years out, a substantial jump from the estimated first-year mark of $38,086. That trajectory suggests the associate's degree opens doors to progressively better programming roles, which aligns with how North Carolina's tech sector—particularly in the Research Triangle—tends to value practical coding skills and work experience.

The estimated debt load of $17,750, based on what similar community college programs nationally produce, translates to a manageable 0.47 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's less than half a year's starting salary, which most families would consider reasonable given where graduates land by year four. The estimate is close to the national median for these programs ($17,108), suggesting Wake Tech likely follows typical community college patterns.

The catch is that both the starting salary and debt figures are estimates drawn from peer programs nationally—we're not seeing actual outcomes for Wake Tech's specific graduates. The four-year earnings are real and encouraging, but you're making enrollment decisions partly on educated guesses about what debt your child will carry and earn initially. Given the strong mid-career number and the fact that community college programming credentials generally produce consistent outcomes, the fundamentals look solid, but understand you're working with less complete information than ideal.