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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 1410

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: is this associate's degree worth it?

National picture across 2 reporting college programs.

MODELED SCENARIO · Positive payoff

+$947 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.

9.9 yrsModeled economic break-even

+1%Modeled 10-year ROI

$56,769Observed earnings · year 4

Economic ROI includes direct price and earnings forgone during study · $45,000 comparison earnings · values held flat · see the formula

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$56,769Median reported earnings · year 4

$34,188Average reported earnings · year 5

$20,000Median federal debt

68thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

2Reporting programs

2With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

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: $55,333
Federal debt: $6,333
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $56,769
Federal debt: $20,000
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $98,640
Federal debt: $25,000
Reporting programs: 268

261 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $134,287
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 62

62 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $222,994
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $138,018
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 1

1 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$42,765National median$56,76975th percentile$42,765

2 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1CUNY LaGuardia Community College$70,773 2Southern Technical College$42,765

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Architectural and Engineering ManagersSOC 11-9041 · 4 crosswalk linksEngineering Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1032 · 4 crosswalk linksElectronics Engineers, Except ComputerSOC 17-2072 · 3 crosswalk linksElectrical EngineersSOC 17-2071 · 2 crosswalk linksEngineers, All OtherSOC 17-2199 · 2 crosswalk linksAerospace EngineersSOC 17-2011 · 1 crosswalk linksComputer Hardware EngineersSOC 17-2061 · 1 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONICS, AND COMMUNICATIONS ENGINEERING

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 LaGuardia Community CollegeAssociate's Degree	Long Island City, NY	$70,773	Not available	+152%	Strong payoff
2	Southern Technical CollegeAssociate's Degree	Orlando, FL	$42,765	$20,000	-117%	Negative 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.