Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Shawnee State University

Shawnee State's engineering technology program starts graduates nearly $16,000 behind Ohio's median for this field, landing in just the 25th percentile statewide. With only three schools offering this bachelor's in Ohio, that comparison is particularly telling—the two Bowling Green campuses see their graduates earning $66,669 compared to Shawnee State's $51,174 in the first year out.

The saving grace here is aggressive earnings growth. That 37% jump to nearly $70,000 by year four closes most of the gap, ultimately putting graduates roughly on par with their peers elsewhere. The debt load is also genuinely manageable at $28,750—actually lower than both state and national medians despite the weaker starting earnings. For a family watching every dollar, that 0.56 debt-to-earnings ratio means less than a year's salary in loans, which is reasonable territory.

The question is whether your student can weather those leaner early years. If they're planning to stay in the Portsmouth area where living costs are lower, or if they have family support to bridge that initial earnings gap, this program can work out fine in the medium term. But if they need strong immediate earnings or could access one of the Bowling Green programs instead, those alternatives deliver $15,000 more right out of the gate—a meaningful difference when you're starting adult life.