Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technology at Shelton State Community College

First-year earnings of $64,821 place this program in the 95th percentile nationally for electrical maintenance technology programs—an exceptionally strong outcome. While the $12,000 debt figure is estimated from comparable programs nationally (since too few graduates exist to publish school-specific data), even using that estimate produces a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19, meaning graduates could potentially pay off loans in under three months of gross salary. This ratio far exceeds the usual benchmarks for a sound educational investment.

The earnings figure deserves scrutiny precisely because it's so high—it sits well above Alabama's median of $52,380 for this field and dwarfs the national median of $45,298. This could reflect Shelton State's connections to Tuscaloosa's industrial employers, particularly in manufacturing or automotive sectors that pay premium wages for skilled electrical technicians. It could also reflect a small cohort where one or two high earners skew the median upward. The 60th percentile ranking within Alabama suggests other in-state programs also produce strong outcomes, though Shelton State appears to be among the leaders.

For parents, the financial picture looks compelling on paper, but the data limitation matters. With debt estimates drawn from national averages and potentially small sample sizes affecting earnings reliability, consider this a strong signal rather than a guarantee. If your student can secure one of the higher-paying electrical positions this program appears to access, the investment is easily justified.