Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at DeVry University-California

DeVry's electrical engineering technology program commands nearly double the typical debt load for this field—$28,782 versus a $14,710 national median—while delivering first-year earnings that merely match California's state median. More troubling is the earnings trajectory: graduates see their income drop 10% by year four, falling from $58,056 to $52,465. This backward slide is unusual for technical fields and suggests graduates may be starting in better-paying contract or temporary positions that don't lead to career advancement.

The premium pricing becomes harder to justify when you consider alternatives. While this program ranks at the 75th percentile nationally for earnings, California community colleges typically offer similar electrical technology training at a fraction of the cost. The debt burden here places graduates in the bottom 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of comparable programs saddle students with less debt. For a population where 54% need Pell grants, that's a significant financial risk.

If your child is set on DeVry specifically, understand they're paying substantially more for an outcome they could likely achieve elsewhere in California's public system. The declining earnings pattern should prompt serious questions about job placement support and whether the program's industry connections justify the cost difference.