Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians at Front Range Community College

Front Range Community College's vet tech program sits squarely in the middle of Colorado's offerings—at the 40th percentile for both state and national earnings—but with one critical advantage: remarkably low debt. Graduates leave owing $22,228, which lands this program in the 5th percentile nationally for debt (meaning only 5% of comparable programs nationwide have higher debt loads). In practical terms, that's just $1,694 more than the Colorado median and $4,228 above the national median—a manageable premium given community college pricing.

The challenge here is flat career trajectory. Earnings actually slip slightly from $35,040 to $34,380 between years one and four, which matters in a field where you're not starting with high pay to begin with. Your child will likely earn $2,500-4,500 less annually than peers who attend Bel-Rea or Community College of Denver, Colorado's higher-performing programs. That gap compounds over time.

For families prioritizing affordable entry into veterinary care, this works—the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63 is reasonable, and your child can realistically manage loan payments on a vet tech salary. But if you can access the slightly more expensive programs like Bel-Rea (which costs more upfront but delivers $3,800 more in annual earnings), the long-term math favors paying extra now. This is a solid safety option, not the aspirational choice.