Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Minnesota State University-Mankato

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.51—meaning roughly half a year's salary in student loans—suggests a manageable financial starting point for this technical bachelor's degree. Drawing from peer computer engineering technology programs across the country, graduates typically earn around $49,000 in their first year, with debt averaging $25,000. This puts you in position to make meaningful progress on loans while building a career in a field that values hands-on technical skills.

The challenge here is uncertainty. Minnesota State-Mankato is the only school in Minnesota offering this specific degree, and the program's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes. The estimates come from similar programs nationally, which means you're looking at what typically happens elsewhere—not what's actually happened for Mankato graduates in this major. That matters because program quality, local employer relationships, and regional demand can vary significantly.

For a family weighing this investment, the estimated numbers suggest reasonable value if your student is committed to technical work in computing. The debt load isn't alarming, and the career path generally supports steady employment. However, before committing, dig into where Mankato's graduates actually land jobs and what roles they secure—information the school's career services or alumni network should be able to provide, even if federal data can't.