Engineering Technology at Massachusetts Bay Community College

A 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests this program delivers solid economic value—though it's worth noting these figures come from national peer programs rather than MassBay's own graduate outcomes. Based on comparable engineering technology associate programs nationwide, first-year earnings around $48,300 with debt under $14,000 creates manageable repayment: roughly three months of gross income to cover the total educational investment.

The national benchmark places this program squarely at the median for engineering technology associates, meaning your child would likely enter a field where technical credentials translate to decent starting wages. With only three schools in Massachusetts offering this pathway, the limited competition could work in graduates' favor for local job placement, though the lack of reported data from Bay State programs makes it harder to assess whether regional outcomes differ from the national pattern.

For an anxious parent, here's what matters: if the estimate holds true, your child would graduate with debt that shouldn't overwhelm their budget while gaining credentials in a hands-on field with clear workforce demand. The concern is that without school-specific outcomes, you're banking on MassBay's program performing similarly to the national average—not a terrible bet for a community college engineering program, but one where you'd want to confirm through other means (job placement rates, employer partnerships) that their graduates actually land those technical positions.