Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians: is this associate's degree worth it?
National picture across 11 reporting college programs.
+$117,791 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.
Observed earnings clearly outpace the comparison earnings and estimated education cost in this scenario.
Observed national outcomes
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.
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.
See the spread, not just the national number.
1CUNY New York City College of Technology$88,8472Ferris State University$86,2843Alpena Community College$76,7594University of New Hampshire-Main Campus$75,9335Cincinnati State Technical and Community College$69,9336Southeast Technical College$67,9937South Central College$66,9328Vermont State University$64,2529SUNY Broome Community College$58,59110State Technical College of Missouri$58,407Observed 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.
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 | CUNY New York City College of TechnologyAssociate's Degree | Brooklyn, NY | $88,847 | Not available | +337% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | Ferris State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Big Rapids, MI | $86,284 | Not available | +285% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Alpena Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Alpena, MI | $76,759 | Not available | +229% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | University of New Hampshire-Main CampusAssociate's Degree | Durham, NH | $75,933 | Not available | +125% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Cincinnati, OH | $69,933 | $20,721 | +149% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Southeast Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree | Sioux Falls, SD | $67,993 | Not available | +84% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | South Central CollegeAssociate's Degree | North Mankato, MN | $66,932 | $13,268 | +103% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Vermont State UniversityAssociate's Degree | Randolph, VT | $64,252 | Not available | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 9 | SUNY Broome Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Binghamton, NY | $58,591 | Not available | +26% | Positive payoff |
| 10 | State Technical College of MissouriAssociate's Degree | Linn, MO | $58,407 | Not available | +11% | Positive payoff |
| 11 | Nassau Community CollegeAssociate's Degree | Garden City, NY | $56,729 | Not available | +13% | Positive payoff |
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.