Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians at St Cloud Technical and Community College

With caution about the limited sample size, St. Cloud Tech's electromechanical program appears to deliver solid value. Graduates earn $63,348 in their first year—outperforming the national median by more than $5,000 and ranking in the 69th percentile nationally. Within Minnesota, this program sits comfortably in the middle of the pack at the 60th percentile, trailing only a handful of technical colleges but still beating the state median. The debt load of $17,148 is notably low (19th percentile nationally), creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.27—meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in about three months of gross pay.

The 4% earnings growth from year one to year four ($65,696) is modest but steady, and the starting salary itself is strong enough to make this program worthwhile. For comparison, Hennepin Tech leads the state at $71,199, but St. Cloud's significantly lower debt burden partially closes that gap. The high Pell grant percentage (35%) suggests the program serves economically diverse students who see tangible returns.

The main caveat is the small cohort size—fewer than 30 graduates means one exceptional or struggling student can skew the numbers considerably. If your child is mechanically inclined and wants a technical career without heavy debt, this looks promising, but verify current program size and placement rates given the data limitations.