Location: West Point, NY•Admission Rate: 14%•Avg SAT: 1355
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$59,823
Est. from national median (48 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$23,874
Est. from national median (46 programs)

Analysis

This analysis comes with a significant caveat: West Point graduates don't pay tuition and serve as commissioned officers with predetermined pay scales, yet the federal data suggests typical program debt of around $24,000. These estimated figures—drawn from national peers at similar institutions—likely bear little resemblance to the actual West Point experience. Military service academies operate under fundamentally different financial and career models than civilian colleges, making conventional debt-to-earnings analysis nearly meaningless here.

The estimated first-year earnings of roughly $60,000 align with what comparable industrial production programs produce nationally, but West Point graduates enter as Army second lieutenants with standardized compensation packages that include base pay, housing allowances, and benefits that don't map onto typical employment outcomes. The estimated 0.40 debt ratio would ordinarily suggest manageable repayment, but it's based on assumptions that don't reflect West Point's no-tuition structure or the multi-year service commitment that follows graduation.

If your child is considering West Point for this major, the financial calculation centers entirely on the value of a free education against the service obligation and military career path—not whether $24,000 in debt makes sense for $60,000 in earnings. Contact the Academy directly for accurate information about costs, service requirements, and how industrial production training translates into Army career specialties.

Where United States Military Academy Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all industrial production technologies/technicians bachelors's programs nationally

United States Military Academy (estimated ±10%)Other industrial production technologies/technicians programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in New York

Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians bachelors's programs at peer institutions in New York (5 total in state)

SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
United States Military AcademyWest Point—$59,823*—$23,874*—
Farmingdale State CollegeFarmingdale$8,576$59,177*—$23,497*0.40
SUNY Buffalo State UniversityBuffalo$8,486$48,355*$63,306$29,500*0.61
National Median—$59,822*—$24,250*0.41
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with industrial production technologies/technicians graduates

Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technicians

Apply electrical and electronic theory and related knowledge, usually under the direction of engineering staff, to design, build, repair, calibrate, and modify electrical components, circuitry, controls, and machinery for subsequent evaluation and use by engineering staff in making engineering design decisions.

$77,180/yrJobs growth:Associate's degree

Electronics Engineering Technicians

Lay out, build, test, troubleshoot, repair, and modify developmental and production electronic components, parts, equipment, and systems, such as computer equipment, missile control instrumentation, electron tubes, test equipment, and machine tool numerical controls, applying principles and theories of electronics, electrical circuitry, engineering mathematics, electronic and electrical testing, and physics. Usually work under direction of engineering staff.

$77,180/yrJobs growth:Associate's degree

Electrical Engineering Technicians

Test or modify developmental or operational electrical machinery or electrical control equipment and circuitry in industrial or commercial plants or laboratories. Usually work under direction of engineers or technologists.

$77,180/yrJobs growth:Associate's degree

Industrial Engineering Technicians

Apply engineering theory and principles to problems of industrial layout or manufacturing production, usually under the direction of engineering staff. May perform time and motion studies on worker operations in a variety of industries for purposes such as establishing standard production rates or improving efficiency.

$64,790/yrJobs growth:Associate's degree

Semiconductor Processors

Perform any or all of the following functions in the manufacture of electronic semiconductors: load semiconductor material into furnace; saw formed ingots into segments; load individual segment into crystal growing chamber and monitor controls; locate crystal axis in ingot using x-ray equipment and saw ingots into wafers; and clean, polish, and load wafers into series of special purpose furnaces, chemical baths, and equipment used to form circuitry and change conductive properties.

$51,180/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

$51,000/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Welders, Cutters, and Welder Fitters

Use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

$51,000/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Solderers and Brazers

Braze or solder together components to assemble fabricated metal parts, using soldering iron, torch, or welding machine and flux.

$51,000/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other

All engineering technicians, except drafters, not listed separately.

Non-Destructive Testing Specialists

Test the safety of structures, vehicles, or vessels using x-ray, ultrasound, fiber optic or related equipment.

Electrical Engineering Technologists

Assist electrical engineers in such activities as process control, electrical power distribution, or instrumentation design. May prepare layouts of electrical transmission or distribution systems, supervise the flow of work, estimate project costs, or participate in research studies.

Electronics Engineering Technologists

Assist electronics engineers in such activities as electronics systems and instrumentation design or digital signal processing.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the national median of 48 similar programs. Actual outcomes may vary.