Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 suggests manageable financing for trade training, though it's worth noting that both figures here come from similar programs nationally rather than this specific college's outcomes. Peer programs typically produce first-year earnings around $44,700 and debt near $12,000—numbers that work in a student's favor when entering the skilled trades.

The challenge is context: Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park, the only comparable program in Illinois with reported data, shows graduates earning $40,200 with considerably higher debt loads (the state median sits at $19,858). If Daley College's program mirrors the national pattern rather than Illinois outcomes, students could be looking at a stronger position than most in-state alternatives. But without actual data from Daley's graduates, you're essentially betting that this program outperforms local competitors.

For a field where apprenticeships and union pathways often provide debt-free training, an associate degree makes most sense if it accelerates licensing or opens doors to specialized roles. The estimated numbers suggest reasonable risk if this degree directly leads to work, but confirm whether employers in Chicago prefer candidates with this credential over those who learned through other routes. The low Pell grant percentage (22%) might indicate this isn't the typical path for students needing financial aid—worth exploring why.