Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Taylor Business Institute

With both earnings and debt figures derived from peer programs nationally, the investment picture for this electrical engineering technology associate's remains uncertain. The estimated first-year salary of $54,852 sits exactly at the national median for this credential, while the projected debt load of $28,782—nearly double the typical burden for similar programs nationwide—mirrors what other private career schools in this institution's category typically produce.

That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.52 would be manageable if the figures held true, but here's the challenge: Illinois electrical engineering tech programs show considerable variation in outcomes. DeVry-Illinois reports actual earnings at $58,056, while the estimated debt here matches Illinois's state median of $28,782. Whether Taylor's specific program delivers outcomes closer to the higher end of the state range or falls short matters significantly when you're carrying debt that will take several years of disciplined payments to clear.

The practical concern is that you're being asked to make a financial commitment based entirely on how comparable programs perform elsewhere, without visibility into this particular school's track record. For a field where hands-on training quality and employer connections drive job placement, that's a meaningful gap. Before enrolling, insist on seeing actual job placement rates and starting salaries for recent Taylor graduates—if the school can't provide that data for its own students, that tells you something important about accountability.