Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians at University of Southern Mississippi

University of Southern Mississippi graduates in this program command a stunning $76,114 their first year out—50% above the national median and landing in the 95th percentile nationally. This program clearly has strong industry connections or feeds into high-paying regional markets that most comparable programs can't access. The $25,000 debt load is reasonable, creating a healthy 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio that allows graduates to tackle loans without financial strain.

The puzzle here is what happens after that strong start. By year four, median earnings drop to $66,725—still well above the national median, but a 12% decline that's worth understanding. This could reflect graduates moving between projects, starting their own ventures, or shifting to different roles within architectural engineering. It's also possible the small sample size (moderate cohort) means a few individual career paths are skewing the four-year figure.

For a Mississippi family, this is the only in-state option for this specific credential, and it delivers results that rival top programs anywhere in the country. The first-year earnings alone justify the investment, even if the career trajectory isn't perfectly linear. If your student is drawn to architectural engineering and wants to stay relatively close to home, this program provides both affordability and a launching pad into well-paid technical work.