Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians at California Institute of Arts & Technology-National City

California Institute of Arts & Technology's computer engineering tech program graduates earn nearly $49K right out of the gate—about $5,600 more than the national average for this degree. The debt load of $21,696 is modest enough that graduates can expect to earn more than double their debt in their first year, a ratio that puts this program in the 5th percentile nationally for debt burden (meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with more debt).

However, there's an important caveat: this program has graduated fewer than 30 students in the measured cohort, which makes the data less reliable. With only five schools offering this program in California, the state comparison is particularly thin. The 60th percentile state ranking means this program sits right in the middle of a very small group of competitors, so it's hard to draw strong conclusions about relative quality within California.

That said, the fundamentals look solid. A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 is manageable for most families, and starting salaries near $49K give graduates a reasonable foundation in a field with growth potential. Just recognize you're looking at a limited data set from a small program—these numbers could shift significantly with a larger graduate sample.