Science Technologies/Technicians at Campbell University

Campbell's Science Technologies program delivers exactly average outcomes at a cost that should concern any parent looking at financing options. While first-year earnings of $59,366 match the national median perfectly, this sits below the middle mark for North Carolina specifically—where the typical graduate from this major earns $65,820. That $6,000+ gap matters when you're comparing in-state options, especially since NC State graduates from the same program start at $72,274.

The debt picture is the real problem here. At $20,250, Campbell loads graduates with debt that ranks in the 95th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of similar programs nationwide saddle students with less. This is particularly frustrating given that the program is slightly cheaper than NC's state median ($20,736), yet delivers below-median earnings for the state. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34 isn't catastrophic, but it's certainly not competitive when you could potentially access stronger programs in-state.

The 14% earnings growth to year four is reasonable, pushing graduates to nearly $68,000. But if you're a North Carolina family, that final number still lags what typical graduates from this program earn in the state. For Campbell's tuition and debt load, you'd expect outcomes at least matching your state's median—not trailing it by thousands of dollars annually.