Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Kauai Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio around 0.27 suggests manageable financial footing, though the full picture here relies heavily on estimates. Both the first-year earnings figure of $44,727 and the $12,000 debt load are derived from national peer programs rather than Kauai CC's actual graduate outcomes. That's not unusual for smaller technical programs in geographically isolated locations—the graduate cohort may simply be too small for the Department of Education to report publicly.

What matters practically: if this program performs similarly to comparable electrical and power transmission programs nationwide, graduates would be earning roughly $3.73 for every dollar borrowed. That's workable math for skilled trades, where earnings often climb as electricians gain licensure and experience. Hawaii's cost of living complicates the calculation, however. While $44,727 might stretch reasonably in many mainland markets, Kauai's housing costs and general expenses could put more pressure on that starting salary than the ratio alone suggests.

The real question is whether this program connects to Hawaii's electrical job market effectively enough to match those national patterns. With only three schools statewide offering this credential, competition among programs is limited—but so is the scale of opportunity. Talk directly with the program about graduate placement rates, local employer partnerships, and whether their graduates typically stay on-island or relocate for work. Without school-specific data, those concrete details become essential for judging whether this investment makes sense for your family's situation.