Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians at Garden City Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.21 tells a straightforward story: based on what peer industrial production programs typically deliver, graduates would earn back their investment in roughly three months of work. While Garden City's actual outcomes aren't available due to small graduate cohorts, the $56,700 first-year earnings estimate comes from the national median across 34 similar programs, and the $12,000 debt figure sits slightly below the national norm. For a two-year technical credential, these numbers paint a favorable picture—assuming this program performs comparably to its peers nationwide.

The challenge for parents is that Kansas has ten schools offering this degree, but none report data publicly, making direct state-level comparisons impossible. What we do know is that industrial production technology programs nationally vary considerably in outcomes, with top performers reaching $64,500 in first-year earnings. Garden City's relatively low proportion of Pell recipients (29%) suggests the student body skews less economically disadvantaged than many community colleges, though this tells you little about program quality or connections to local employers.

The practical takeaway: if Garden City's program matches national performance, your child would carry manageable debt into a field with solid starting pay. But without visibility into how this specific program's graduates fare—or how it compares to other Kansas options—you're betting on industry demand in southwest Kansas more than proven outcomes. Visit campus, talk to employers who hire from the program, and verify job placement rates directly.