Ground Transportation at Athens Technical College

Athens Technical College's Ground Transportation certificate comes with a significant caveat: we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers may not reflect your child's likely outcome. That said, the program shows decent positioning within Georgia—beating the state median by nearly $3,000 and landing in the 60th percentile among Georgia's 21 ground transportation programs. The debt load of $9,500 is manageable, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.23, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans in under three months of gross earnings.

The challenge is that stronger programs exist in-state. Miller-Motte College-Augusta graduates earn about $6,300 more annually, while several technical colleges (Wiregrass, Central Georgia, West Georgia) show earnings in the $43,000-$46,000 range. That gap matters when you're talking about entry-level transportation careers where every few thousand dollars significantly impacts quality of life.

For families seeking the most affordable credential in this field, Athens Tech delivers low debt with respectable outcomes for Georgia. But if your child can access one of the higher-performing technical colleges—particularly if they're geographically closer or offer better financial aid—those programs show measurably better earning potential. The small sample size makes this a riskier bet than programs with more established track records.