Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German

Something doesn't add up here. Based on comparable programs across the country, first-year graduates typically earn around $67,000—yet four years later, this program's grads are making just $27,768. That's not a plateau; it's a cliff. While data limitations mean we're working with estimates for that first-year figure, the fourth-year number tells us what's actually happening to graduates in Puerto Rico's job market, where electrical engineering technology programs typically yield salaries around $38,000. The dramatic drop suggests many graduates either leave the field, face significant underemployment, or encounter a local market that can't sustain mainland-level technical salaries.

The estimated debt of $27,000 looks manageable against the national earnings benchmark, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40. But measured against what graduates actually earn four years out, that debt becomes far more burdensome. At $27,768 annually, paying down student loans while covering basic expenses would be challenging. Serving a student body where 82% receive Pell grants, this program draws families who can least afford a credential that doesn't deliver on its economic promise in the local context.

If your child plans to work in Puerto Rico after graduation, the fourth-year earnings figure matters more than any national comparison. If mainland relocation is part of the plan, understand that requires resources, risk, and uprooting—factors that debt amplifies rather than eases.