Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at ETI Technical College of Niles

The estimated earnings figure of $58,056 for this program sits at the 75th percentile nationally for electrical engineering technology associates, suggesting comparable Ohio programs produce competitive outcomes. However, the estimated debt load of $28,782—nearly double Ohio's typical $17,609 for this credential—fundamentally changes the value calculation.

That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50 means graduates would carry debt equal to roughly half their first-year income, a manageable threshold on paper. But when peers at schools like Stark State College reportedly earn $109,000 in their first year, or even Zane State's $47,946 comes with likely lower debt, the arithmetic becomes less appealing. The high Pell grant rate (73%) indicates ETI serves predominantly students who need to minimize borrowing, making that above-average debt burden particularly concerning for this specific population.

The challenge here is uncertainty: these are estimates based on peer programs, not ETI's actual graduate outcomes. If ETI's actual debt runs closer to state norms while maintaining those solid earnings, it could represent decent value. But if that $28,782 estimate proves accurate—or worse, conservative—families should seriously question whether this program delivers enough earnings advantage to justify nearly $11,000 more in debt than typical Ohio alternatives, especially when other state schools with reported data show such varied outcomes.