Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Washburn Institute of Technology

Washburn Institute of Technology's electrical transmission program starts graduates at $37,254—below both the Kansas median ($42,224) and national average for this credential. More concerning, it ranks in just the 40th percentile among Kansas programs, meaning six in ten electrical programs in the state deliver stronger initial outcomes. Compare this to top performers like Pratt Community College ($57,103) or Manhattan Area Tech ($50,897), and you're looking at a $13,000 to $20,000 annual earnings gap right out of the gate.

The debt load is manageable at $9,500, creating a reasonable 0.26 debt-to-earnings ratio, and graduates do see solid 27% earnings growth by year four. But that fourth-year figure of $47,476 still trails what peers earn immediately after completing similar programs elsewhere in Kansas. For a skilled trade where earnings typically hit hard and fast, starting in the bottom half of state outcomes matters—it's not just about the first paycheck, but the trajectory you're building from.

Given Kansas has a dozen options for this credential and several deliver substantially better results, parents should ask hard questions about job placement specifics and employer connections. With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, there's some uncertainty in these numbers, but the pattern of underperformance against state benchmarks is clear enough to warrant looking closely at alternatives before committing.