Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Lewis-Clark State College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 suggests a manageable financial picture for this engineering technology program, though it's important to know that both the $60,153 earnings figure and $27,000 debt estimate come from comparable programs nationally rather than Lewis-Clark State's actual graduate outcomes. The small size of this program means the Department of Education suppresses the data for privacy reasons, so we're working with educated guesses based on peer institutions offering the same credential.

The estimated first-year salary aligns with what drafting and design technology bachelor's programs typically produce nationwide, which translates to around $5,000 monthly pre-tax—a solid middle-class starting point for technical work. The estimated debt load would require roughly $300 in monthly loan payments on a standard 10-year plan, consuming about 6% of gross income. That's within the conventional "affordable" threshold, leaving breathing room in a graduate's budget.

The real question is whether this specific program delivers outcomes close to those national benchmarks. With only two schools offering this bachelor's degree in Idaho and no reported data from either, you're essentially betting that Lewis-Clark State's program performs similarly to the national median. If your family is considering this route, direct contact with the department about graduate placement and starting salaries would be essential to verify whether the estimated $60,000 earnings are realistic for their specific graduates, not just wishful thinking based on programs in other states.