Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at St Petersburg College

At under $10,000 in estimated debt, this certificate program keeps borrowing minimal—a crucial advantage when peer programs nationally average closer to $12,000. The first-year earnings estimate of $38,800 comes from a national pool of similar electrical engineering technology certificates, which means St. Petersburg College could perform better or worse than this figure. What we can say is that a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24 would represent a manageable burden, with graduates theoretically able to pay off loans within months rather than years if they match typical outcomes.

The challenge is that electrical engineering technology programs show enormous variation nationally, with top performers reaching $57,000 in first-year earnings—nearly 50% higher than the median. Florida has 21 schools offering this credential, but none with public outcome data for comparison, leaving you without visibility into whether this program connects graduates to higher-paying opportunities in the Tampa Bay region's aerospace, defense, and electronics sectors, or to lower-tier maintenance positions. The difference matters significantly for return on investment.

Given the low estimated debt load, this program presents limited financial downside if it underperforms expectations. However, before enrolling, contact the program directly for graduate employment outcomes and starting salaries—information they should track even if the DOE can't publish it. The estimated figures provide a baseline, but actual placement results will tell you whether this specific certificate delivers value or simply gets students to entry level.