Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Coastal Carolina Community College

Based on national peer programs, Coastal Carolina's electrical engineering technology certificate comes with an estimated debt load of $9,400—below the national median for similar certificates. That's meaningful for a short-term credential designed to get students into technical work quickly. The estimated first-year earnings of $38,800 translate to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24, suggesting graduates could reasonably pay off their loans within their first year of work if they manage expenses carefully.

The challenge is context. North Carolina has 32 schools offering this credential, but none report sufficient graduate data for direct comparison. That makes it difficult to know whether $38,800 represents competitive preparation for the local market around Jacksonville. The national benchmark puts this at median earnings—not bottom-tier, but nowhere near the $57,400 that top-quartile programs achieve. For a field where hands-on training and employer connections matter enormously, the lack of graduate outcomes data raises questions about program scale and industry pipelines.

If your child is drawn to electrical systems work and wants a quick entry point without the time commitment of an associate degree, the debt picture here won't sink them. But press the school on job placement specifics: which local employers hire their graduates, what second-year earnings look like, and whether students can ladder this certificate into longer credentials if career growth demands it.