Ground Transportation at Centura College-Newport News

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.15 is exceptionally low for any credential, and that's the standout feature here. With peer programs nationally suggesting around $6,300 in debt against first-year earnings near $41,400, graduates would need less than two months of gross income to cover the full certificate cost. That's unusual even for short-term credentials, where debt loads can still climb surprisingly high. The fact that 80% of students receive Pell grants reinforces that this program serves a predominantly low-income population—students who particularly benefit from minimal debt exposure.

Similar ground transportation programs in Virginia typically produce earnings around $39,900, so the national benchmark of $41,400 isn't wildly optimistic. Advanced Technology Institute and Tidewater Community College graduates both report earnings in the high $39,000s to low $40,000s, suggesting consistency across the state's programs. What matters more than marginal earnings differences is the debt side: Virginia programs average over $10,000 in debt, nearly double what comparable programs at schools like Centura typically carry.

The practical math is simple. If the estimates hold, a graduate earning $41,400 would dedicate roughly 15% of their gross annual income to retire this debt in a single year—or stretch it comfortably over several years with minimal financial strain. For families worried about student loan burden, this profile represents exactly what affordable workforce training should look like.