Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians at Fairmont State University

Fairmont State's Quality Control program shows an unusual trajectory that's hard to evaluate confidently given the small sample size. First-year earnings of $48,423 lag significantly behind both the state median ($58,173) and national average ($66,418), placing graduates in just the 5th percentile nationally. However, by year four, earnings jump to $89,136—an 84% increase that outpaces typical career growth. This kind of volatility could reflect a few graduates landing specialized roles, or it might indicate genuine career acceleration for those who stick with the field.

The debt level of $26,307 is standard for this program, and the 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable even with the low starting salary. The real question is whether that year-four spike represents a reliable pattern or statistical noise from tracking fewer than 30 graduates. Marshall University's Quality Control graduates earn $67,923 early on—$19,500 more than Fairmont State's first-year number—suggesting your child might start stronger elsewhere in West Virginia.

If your child has admission to both programs, Marshall's more predictable earnings path seems safer. Fairmont State could work if they're willing to accept lower initial pay for potential long-term growth, but recognize you're betting on a pattern based on very limited data. The small cohort size means one or two outlier success stories could be skewing the numbers dramatically.