Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians at New Mexico State University-Main Campus

At an estimated $13,000 in debt, this associate's degree appears positioned to pay for itself relatively quickly—nationwide data from similar drafting and design programs suggests graduates typically earn around $45,000 in their first year. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 means you'd be borrowing roughly three months' worth of first-year salary, which is conservative by technical program standards.

The challenge here is uncertainty. With no reported outcomes from New Mexico State's specific program or from any of the 10 other drafting programs across New Mexico, you're making this decision based entirely on national patterns. Drafting is generally a stable technical field with clear career paths, and the estimated earnings fall right at the national median for these programs. But whether NMSU's curriculum, industry connections in the Las Cruces area, and job placement specifically deliver those results remains unknown.

For parents weighing this investment, the estimated numbers suggest reasonable value—borrowing under $15,000 for skills that typically command $45,000+ is a solid starting point. But push the school hard on concrete outcomes: where do their graduates actually work, what do local employers think of the program, and why aren't they reporting data to the Department of Education? The theoretical math works, but you need evidence that this particular program delivers on it.