Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Lamar State College-Port Arthur

The financial math here looks promising: similar electrical engineering technology programs in Texas suggest first-year earnings around $58,557, while median debt loads for comparable associate's programs nationally run about $12,063. That puts the debt-to-earnings ratio at 0.21—meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans with less than three months of their first year's salary.

What makes this estimate encouraging is how it stacks up against both state and national patterns. Peer programs in Texas typically produce earnings in this same range, hovering near $58,556, while the national median for this field sits lower at $54,852. The estimated debt burden also comes in below both the Texas median ($20,666) and the national median ($14,710) for electrical engineering technology programs. That combination—competitive earnings potential with relatively modest borrowing—suggests solid value, at least based on how similar programs perform.

The caveat is that these are projections drawn from comparable schools, not actual outcomes from Lamar State College-Port Arthur itself. The small graduate sample means we can't see this program's specific track record. Still, electrical engineering technology tends to lead to stable, skilled trades work, and the estimated numbers align with what successful programs in the field typically deliver. For families comfortable with a two-year technical degree path, this appears to be a reasonably safe bet.