Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians at Robeson Community College

A $77,593 starting salary from a two-year program puts Robeson's electromechanical tech graduates well ahead of the pack nationally—this ranks at the 95th percentile compared to the same program at over 360 other schools. That's exceptional for an associate degree in any field, let alone at estimated debt of just $12,000 (derived from national medians for similar programs). The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.15 means graduates could theoretically clear their debt in under two months of gross pay, assuming the actual debt picture mirrors the estimate.

What tempers this otherwise compelling picture is uncertainty. The debt figure comes from national comparisons since Robeson's graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to publish actual numbers. While the strong earnings are reported data for this specific program, you're making decisions with incomplete information about the financial burden. That said, even if actual debt ran 50% higher than estimated, the earnings would still support manageable repayment.

The bottom line: if your child has mechanical aptitude and doesn't mind hands-on technical work, this program appears to offer one of the best returns on investment for an associate degree in North Carolina. Just go in knowing the debt estimate is educated guesswork, and verify current costs directly with Robeson's financial aid office before committing.