Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Pennsylvania College of Technology

Pennsylvania College of Technology's Civil Engineering Technologies program sits squarely in the middle of the pack nationally, but performs better than you might expect within Pennsylvania—landing at the 60th percentile among the state's five programs. The $58,752 starting salary closely matches both state and national medians, while the $27,000 debt load is slightly below average. That 0.46 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly five months' salary, a manageable starting point for most families.

The concerning element here is the complete absence of earnings growth: four years out, graduates are making essentially the same $58,910 they earned fresh out of school. This suggests the program may be training students for roles with limited advancement potential or narrow career trajectories. Whether that's a problem depends on your child's goals—some technician roles offer stability and decent pay without management aspirations, which appeals to certain students.

For Pennsylvania families, this represents a solid middle-ground option: reasonable debt, immediate employability, and wages that exceed what many liberal arts graduates earn. Just understand you're paying for entry into a career track that appears to plateau quickly rather than a credential that unlocks steadily increasing earning power. If your child wants predictable work in Pennsylvania's infrastructure sector and isn't chasing six figures, this delivers what it promises.