Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians at Des Moines Area Community College

The headline here is troubling: graduates start earning nearly $4,000 above the Iowa median for vet tech programs, but by year four they're making $32,190—a 17% drop that wipes out their early advantage. While the initial $38,962 puts this program in the 83rd percentile nationally and 60th percentile statewide, that backward trajectory demands explanation. Are graduates leaving the field? Moving to lower-paying positions? With fewer than 30 students in this data sample, individual career choices could skew the numbers heavily, but the pattern is worth questioning before committing.

The debt picture offers some reassurance: $16,252 is manageable, translating to a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio against first-year income. That's higher than the state median debt of $13,868, but not alarmingly so. However, if earnings continue declining, that ratio looks less favorable over time. The field itself caps earning potential—even top performers nationally only reach about $37,771—so this isn't a pathway to high income regardless of where you train.

If your child is passionate about veterinary care, the starting salary here is competitive and the debt reasonable. But press the school about that earnings drop. Is this normal attrition from the field, or something specific to how their graduates progress? With such a small sample, one or two students' career choices could explain everything—or signal a real retention problem.