Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 42 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff
+$98,389 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
5.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
+84%Modeled 10-year ROI
$66,606Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$66,606Median reported earnings · year 4
$65,607Average reported earnings · year 5
$16,944Median federal debt
82thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
42Reporting programs
41With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,798
- Federal debt
- $11,250
- Reporting programs
- 12
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $66,606
- Federal debt
- $16,944
- Reporting programs
- 42
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $81,765
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Reporting programs
- 63
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $114,566
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 2
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$57,997National median$66,60675th percentile$74,855
41 programs report year‑4 earnings.See the spread, not just the national number.
1Miami University-Hamilton$86,5372Miami University-Middletown$86,5373Miami University-Oxford$86,5374Ivy Tech Community College$79,7805Owens Community College$78,9996Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology$76,6437Ferris State University$76,0048Youngstown State University$75,5959Vermont State University$75,58710University of Akron Main Campus$74,957Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Mechanical DraftersSOC 17-3013 · 3 crosswalk linksMechanical Engineering Technologists and TechniciansSOC 17-3027 · 3 crosswalk linksAutomotive Service Technicians and MechanicsSOC 49-3023 · 2 crosswalk linksEngineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All OtherSOC 17-3029 · 2 crosswalk linksAerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and TechniciansSOC 17-3021 · 1 crosswalk linksElectro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and TechniciansSOC 17-3024 · 1 crosswalk linksMotorboat Mechanics and Service TechniciansSOC 49-3051 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami University-HamiltonAssociate's Degree | Hamilton, OH | $86,537 | Not available | +269% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Miami University-MiddletownAssociate's Degree | Middletown, OH | $86,537 | Not available | +272% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Miami University-OxfordAssociate's Degree | Oxford, OH | $86,537 | Not available | +183% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Ivy Tech Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Indianapolis, IN | $79,780 | Not available | +233% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Owens Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Perrysburg, OH | $78,999 | $12,000 | +207% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Boston, MA | $76,643 | Not available | +162% | Strong payoff |
| 7 | Ferris State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Big Rapids, MI | $76,004 | $18,500 | +189% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Youngstown State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Youngstown, OH | $75,595 | $22,750 | +165% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | Vermont State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Randolph, VT | $75,587 | Not available | +142% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | University of Akron Main CampusAssociate's Degree | Akron, OH | $74,957 | $22,582 | +154% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $74,855 | $15,017 | +199% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Spartan College of Aeronautics and TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Tulsa, OK | $74,459 | $22,260 | +97% | Positive payoff |
| 13 | Monroe Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rochester, NY | $73,931 | Not available | +182% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | Purdue University Fort WayneAssociate's Degree | Fort Wayne, IN | $73,342 | Not available | +144% | Strong payoff |
| 15 | Springfield Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Springfield, MA | $71,319 | $7,395 | +160% | Strong payoff |
| 16 | NHTI-Concord's Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Concord, NH | $69,432 | Not available | +94% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | New England Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | East Greenwich, RI | $68,565 | Not available | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | Columbus State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Columbus, OH | $67,973 | Not available | +115% | Strong payoff |
| 19 | Kent State University at AshtabulaAssociate's Degree | Ashtabula, OH | $66,606 | $15,387 | +89% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | Kent State University at TrumbullAssociate's Degree | Warren, OH | $66,606 | $15,387 | +92% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Kent State University at TuscarawasAssociate's Degree | New Philadelphia, OH | $66,606 | $15,387 | +88% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Kent State University at KentAssociate's Degree | Kent, OH | $66,606 | $15,387 | +64% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | York Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Rock Hill, SC | $63,387 | Not available | +81% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Lawson State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Birmingham, AL | $62,162 | Not available | +67% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | Oklahoma City Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Oklahoma City, OK | $61,211 | Not available | +63% | Positive payoff |
| 26 | CUNY New York City College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $60,503 | Not available | +55% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Northwest State Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Archbold, OH | $58,384 | Not available | +14% | Positive payoff |
| 28 | Oklahoma State University Institute of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Okmulgee, OK | $58,105 | $12,000 | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 29 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend CollegeAssociate's Degree | Erie, PA | $57,997 | $18,500 | -7% | Negative payoff |
| 30 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State AltoonaAssociate's Degree | Altoona, PA | $57,997 | $18,500 | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 31 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBoisAssociate's Degree | DuBois, PA | $57,997 | $18,500 | +4% | Positive payoff |
| 32 | Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusAssociate's Degree | University Park, PA | $57,997 | $18,500 | -17% | Negative payoff |
| 33 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State YorkAssociate's Degree | York, PA | $57,997 | $18,500 | +1% | Positive payoff |
| 34 | Brookdale Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Lincroft, NJ | $56,773 | Not available | +5% | Positive payoff |
| 35 | Seminole State College of FloridaAssociate's Degree | Sanford, FL | $56,628 | Not available | +8% | Positive payoff |
| 36 | Southeast Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sioux Falls, SD | $53,783 | Not available | -30% | Negative payoff |
| 37 | Wake Technical Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Raleigh, NC | $53,082 | Not available | -25% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Delaware Technical Community College-TerryAssociate's Degree | Dover, DE | $52,730 | Not available | -32% | Negative payoff |
| 39 | Stark State CollegeAssociate's Degree | North Canton, OH | $39,983 | Not available | -149% | Negative payoff |
| 40 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo CampusAssociate's Degree | Gurabo, PR | $31,542 | $5,576 | -229% | Negative payoff |
| 41 | University of Puerto Rico-AguadillaAssociate's Degree | Aguadilla, PR | $27,189 | $4,500 | -269% | Negative payoff |
| 42 | ECPI UniversityAssociate's Degree | Virginia Beach, VA | Not available | $29,810 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $22,965 |
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.