Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Florida International University

At an estimated $24,736 in debt against first-year earnings around $66,600, this program appears positioned in the more affordable range for engineering technology degrees—though these figures come from national peer programs rather than FIU's actual outcomes. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 suggests graduates could reasonably manage repayment, with total debt representing roughly five months of gross income. For a moderately selective university serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students, these estimated numbers point toward accessible technical training without crushing financial burden.

The challenge is that Florida's engineering technology landscape tells a different story when actual data exists. Daytona State College reports median earnings of $73,572 for their graduates—about $7,000 higher than what comparable bachelor's programs nationally produce. This gap raises questions about whether FIU's four-year degree delivers the same market value as programs at Florida's community colleges, where students typically graduate with less debt and potentially stronger industry connections in a state with robust aerospace and manufacturing sectors.

Without actual graduate outcomes from FIU, you're essentially betting that this program performs like its national peers rather than underperforming Florida's market. The estimated figures suggest manageable risk, but the lack of reported data—likely due to small cohort sizes—means the program might be too small to have established strong employer pipelines. That matters more in technical fields where internships and industry relationships drive placement.