Engineering Science at Houston Community College

Houston Community College's Engineering Science associate's degree shows impressive earnings that match the national median of $61,518 right out of the gate—strong for a two-year program. The debt load of $17,814 is higher than the national average for this program, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 means graduates can realistically pay off their loans within a year or two of full-time work. The 20% earnings bump to nearly $74,000 by year four suggests graduates are either advancing in technical roles or successfully transferring to four-year programs and leveraging their credits.

The big caveat here is sample size—with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could swing considerably with even a few outliers. That said, the earnings trajectory looks solid for students who want to enter the workforce quickly or use this as a springboard to a bachelor's degree. For families concerned about cost, HCC offers a much cheaper entry point into engineering than starting at a four-year school, and graduates appear to be landing decent-paying technical positions or transferring successfully.

For students confident they'll complete the program and enter a technical field, this represents a low-risk pathway into engineering careers. Just recognize you're looking at a small sample that may not fully reflect your student's likely outcome.