Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians at Stark State College

First-year earnings of $35,362 place this program at the very bottom of the mechanical engineering technology field—both in Ohio, where similar programs typically produce median earnings around $48,000, and nationally, where this program ranks in just the 5th percentile. For context, graduates from Owens Community College in the same field earn $61,021 their first year, while even nearby University of Akron produces $52,177. That's a $16,000-$26,000 annual gap doing essentially the same work with the same credential.

The debt picture looks manageable at an estimated $15,387 (based on similar programs at Stark State), translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44. But when your starting salary is $35,000 in a field where $48,000-$61,000 is standard across Ohio, those monthly loan payments will feel considerably heavier. Four years out, earnings barely budge to $37,622—just 6% growth—while graduates from peer programs are likely earning $60,000 or more.

The bottom line: this program appears to significantly underperform its Ohio competitors without offering any debt advantage to compensate. Unless there are compelling geographic or personal circumstances tying your child to this specific school, other Ohio community colleges offer the same credential with substantially better earning outcomes. That earnings gap compounds to hundreds of thousands of dollars over a career.