Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians at Trine University

Trine University's engineering technology program significantly outperforms the national market—graduates earn $65,013 their first year, placing them in the 95th percentile nationally and nearly $5,000 above the typical program. With debt of $27,000 and earnings climbing to $75,195 by year four, you're looking at a debt load equal to just over five months of first-year salary. The 16% earnings growth trajectory suggests graduates are building valuable technical skills that command increasing compensation as they gain experience.

The Indiana context matters here: with only four schools offering this bachelor's program statewide, Trine sits at the 60th percentile within Indiana—solid middle ground—but that still translates to earnings nearly $30,000 higher than what graduates from Indiana University-Indianapolis report. For an Indiana family, this represents strong in-state value at a school with an accessible 85% admission rate.

The moderate sample size means these figures should be reasonably reliable for planning purposes. For parents concerned about ROI, this program delivers: manageable debt paired with earnings that exceed most drafting and design programs from day one. If your child is technically inclined and drawn to engineering design work, this represents a practical path to solid middle-class earnings without the debt burden that often accompanies private university degrees.