Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians at Community College of Beaver County

First-year earnings of $75,949 place this program well above most industrial production technology programs nationally, landing at the 89th percentile—a strong outcome even if the debt figure is estimated from peer schools rather than actual graduate data. Based on national patterns for similar associate programs, graduates likely carry around $12,000 in debt, which would mean paying back roughly 16 cents for every dollar earned in year one. That's a manageable burden for technical training that appears to connect graduates with strong regional manufacturing employers.

What makes this result particularly notable is the local context. While the program ranks at the 60th percentile within Pennsylvania—middle of the pack for the state—it substantially outperforms both the state median ($67,506) and the national median ($56,704). Similar programs in Pennsylvania typically saddle graduates with $24,000 in debt, so even if actual debt at this school runs higher than the estimate, the strong earnings provide cushion. The one data point available from Pennsylvania College of Technology ($59,063) sits well below what Community College of Beaver County graduates are earning.

For parents weighing this investment, the combination of strong earnings and likely modest debt—even accounting for estimation uncertainty—suggests solid value. The local industrial economy around Beaver County appears to offer opportunities that graduates are successfully capturing, though you'd want to confirm specific employer connections and job placement support the school provides.