Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Midlands Technical College

The debt picture looks manageable here—peer programs nationally suggest around $12,000 in borrowing for an associate's degree in electrical engineering technology. With estimated first-year earnings of $55,000, that's a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.22, meaning graduates would owe roughly 22 cents for every dollar earned in year one. That's well within safe territory for technical credentials that lead directly to employment.

What's harder to assess is how Midlands Technical College stacks up against other South Carolina programs. Similar programs at Greenville Tech and Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College report graduates earning $69,000-$70,000—substantially higher than the national benchmark used here. South Carolina's electrical engineering tech programs appear stronger than average nationally, which raises questions about where Midlands fits in that landscape. The school's 39% Pell grant enrollment suggests it serves cost-conscious students well, but without actual outcome data for this specific program, it's difficult to know whether graduates achieve earnings closer to the state's median of $69,000 or fall below it.

For families weighing this program, the debt level appears reasonable regardless, but the earnings uncertainty matters. If your child has options at Greenville Tech or similar programs with documented higher earnings, those merit serious consideration. If Midlands offers location advantages or lower overall costs, the estimated national earnings still represent solid entry-level wages for a two-year degree—just potentially $10,000-$15,000 below what top SC programs deliver.