Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians at Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture

The surprisingly good news here is the debt, not the earnings. At $12,625, NCTA veterinary tech graduates carry substantially less debt than the national median of $18,000—landing them in the 87th percentile nationally. That lighter debt load partially offsets first-year earnings of $32,793, which trail the national median by about $3,300. Among Nebraska's three vet tech programs, this one sits right at the state median for both earnings and debt, though Northeast Community College's grads edge ahead by about $1,600.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38 means graduates can realistically pay down their loans on a vet tech salary, which matters in a field where passionate animal lovers sometimes underestimate the financial constraints. With 34% of students receiving Pell grants, NCTA appears to serve many first-generation and lower-income students who need career training without overwhelming debt. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) suggests stable data, though not huge cohorts.

For Nebraska families, particularly those in rural areas where NCTA's Curtis location makes sense logistically, this program delivers affordable entry into veterinary care. You're not getting premium earnings, but you're also not taking on the debt burden typical of this field nationally. If your child is committed to working with animals and wants to stay in Nebraska, the low debt makes this a defensible choice—just understand they'll need to budget carefully on a sub-$33,000 starting salary.