Computer and Information Sciences at West Virginia University at Parkersburg

An estimated first-year salary around $35,800 places this associate's in computer science squarely at the national median for the credential, suggesting WVU Parkersburg's program delivers outcomes typical of similar two-year IT programs nationwide. With estimated debt of $12,500—below the national median of $14,932 for these programs—the financial equation looks manageable: graduates would owe roughly one-third of their first-year earnings, a ratio that should be workable for most borrowers.

The challenge with this program is uncertainty. Because the Department of Education suppresses data when graduate samples are too small, we're working entirely from national benchmarks rather than outcomes specific to Parkersburg. That means we don't know whether this particular program connects graduates to West Virginia's tech employers effectively, or whether local market conditions push outcomes higher or lower than the national average. Similar programs nationwide range from about $24,000 to over $41,000 in first-year earnings—a wide spread that matters significantly when you're starting your career.

For families comfortable with some uncertainty, the fundamentals here aren't alarming: associate's degrees in IT generally lead to employable skills, the estimated debt burden is modest, and the program serves a substantial share of Pell-eligible students without pricing them out. Just recognize you're making this decision without the school-specific outcomes that would confirm whether this particular path delivers on the credential's promise.