Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Onondaga Community College

The small sample size here is a real limitation, but the available data suggests Onondaga's electrical engineering technology program starts students below average—both nationally (32nd percentile) and within New York (40th percentile)—before significant earnings growth kicks in. Graduates earn about $48,000 in their first year, roughly $6,000 less than the national median and $1,600 below New York's median. However, by year four, earnings jump 43% to nearly $69,000, which moves graduates well past typical benchmarks for this field.

The positive here is debt: at $10,787, it's about $4,000 less than what New York students typically borrow for this program and well below the national figure. That 0.22 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable even with the lower starting salary. Still, when peers at Monroe Community College start at $51,000 and DeVry graduates approach $58,000 right out of the gate, that initial gap matters for students who need immediate earning power.

This program makes sense if you're comfortable with a slower start in exchange for lower debt and eventual earnings growth. The trajectory looks promising by year four, but if your child needs stronger first-year earnings to support themselves or repay loans quickly, other New York programs deliver better immediate returns. Just remember these numbers are based on fewer than 30 graduates, so outcomes for any individual student could vary considerably.