Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at State Fair Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 sounds manageable on paper, but the story gets muddier when you look at Missouri's broader landscape. Similar programs in the state typically produce first-year earnings around $58,000—significantly higher than the $44,700 national benchmark that stands in for State Fair's outcomes here. That $13,000 gap matters: it's the difference between a comfortable financial start and a tighter one, especially for the third of students here who qualify for Pell grants and may be stretching every dollar.

What's particularly noteworthy is the performance of peer programs in Missouri. Ozarks Technical and State Tech consistently place graduates above $54,000 in their first year, suggesting that employer demand and training quality vary considerably across the state's five programs in this field. Without actual graduate outcomes from State Fair, you're essentially betting that their program performs closer to the national average than to Missouri's stronger-performing schools—a gamble when other options have proven track records.

The modest estimated debt of $12,000 provides some cushion if earnings fall short, but it doesn't erase the uncertainty. If your child is set on this field, the programs with reported outcomes offer clearer pictures of what to expect. State Fair may deliver comparable results, but right now you're investing based on what similar programs achieve elsewhere, not on evidence from this school's actual graduates.