The purpose of this ex-post facto quantitative study was to evaluate the benefits of professional technical postsecondary education in Idaho. Human capital theory formed the basis of understanding the importance of acquiring education beyond high school, both for the individual and society. Interactions between entry earnings and cost of attending college determined the return on investment (ROI) of a college education, which compared an applied associates degree and baccalaureate degree within seven occupational areas (N=175). Relationships between credits earned in postsecondary schools and entry wages were assessed (N=248). Data were gathered from the Division of Professional Technical Education of Idaho, individual colleges and universities in Idaho, and the Idaho Department of Labor. Descriptive data were presented from Kruskal-Wallis tests, conducted to investigate the relationships between area of interest and degree and wages. Similarly, the relationships between ROI, field of study, and entry wages were sought. In addition, a regression analysis was performed to determine if an accurate prediction could be made on entry wages based on credits earned. The research demonstrated when comparing only entry wages for baccalaureate degrees and applied associates degrees, all fields showed a higher wage for baccalaureate degrees. When considering the tuition costs, all seven industries illustrated higher return on investment for applied associate degrees over baccalaureate degrees. This study provides statistical information for the Division of Professional Technical Education, the Idaho Department of Labor, and future postsecondary students in Idaho. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]