Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Anoka Technical College

Anoka Technical College graduates start slightly below the national median at $41,158, but here's what matters more: their earnings jump 30% by year four to reach $53,313, pushing well past typical outcomes for this field. That $53,000 four-year mark exceeds even the 75th percentile nationally for this program ($49,426), suggesting graduates develop marketable skills that employers increasingly value.

Within Minnesota's limited pool of computer engineering tech programs, this one sits comfortably above the middle—60th percentile—despite all nine state programs having identical first-year median earnings. The real differentiation comes in that trajectory. At $20,000 in debt with a debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5, graduates can realistically pay off loans within two years of their first job if they're disciplined about it.

The moderate sample size means individual outcomes vary, but the pattern is clear: this program positions graduates for steady technical careers with room to grow. For families seeking an affordable entry point into computer hardware work without the time and cost of a bachelor's degree, this delivers results that improve meaningfully after employers see what graduates can do.