Engineering Technology at Daytona State College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 suggests a manageable financial picture for this program, though it's important to understand what you're working with: both the $48,321 first-year earnings figure and the $13,834 debt estimate come from national patterns across similar engineering technology associate programs, not from Daytona State's actual graduate outcomes. With roughly one-third of students receiving Pell grants, this program serves a significant population for whom even modest debt matters greatly.

The earnings estimate aligns almost perfectly with the national median for engineering technology associate degrees, which suggests graduates might expect typical outcomes for this field—nothing exceptional, but solid entry-level technical pay. Engineering technology programs generally prepare students for hands-on roles in manufacturing, testing, and technical support, careers that offer steady employment but not the salary trajectory of full engineering degrees. The estimated debt sits slightly above the national median, though still well within reasonable bounds for technical training.

Without program-specific data, you're making an investment decision based on what similar programs typically deliver rather than what Daytona State specifically achieves. If your student has clear interest in technical work and wants to stay local in the Daytona Beach area, the program's estimated metrics don't raise red flags. However, reach out to the school directly to ask about job placement rates, employer partnerships, and where recent graduates actually land—details that matter more than these broad estimates when you're writing a tuition check.