Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians at Madison Area Technical College

Madison Area Technical College's veterinary technology program produces graduates earning about $1,400 less than the state median—ranking in the 40th percentile among Wisconsin's four schools. With first-year earnings of $34,698, graduates trail Gateway Technical College's program by roughly $2,400 annually. While the $16,500 debt load matches the state median and keeps the debt-to-earnings ratio reasonable at 0.48, the earnings trajectory matters in a field where salaries tend to stay modest. The slightly below-average performance within Wisconsin suggests students might want to understand what drives Gateway's better outcomes.

The relatively low Pell grant enrollment (19%) indicates this program serves fewer low-income students than typical community college programs, yet the earnings don't reflect a premium outcome. For families calculating return on investment, this means your graduate will likely spend about five months of gross income paying off their debt—manageable, but not outstanding for a technical credential. The moderate sample size provides reasonable confidence in these numbers.

If your child is committed to veterinary technology and prefers Madison's location, this program won't burden them with excessive debt. However, Gateway Technical College's $2,400 earnings advantage is worth investigating, especially since both programs carry similar debt loads. That difference compounds to over $100,000 across a 40-year career.