Electrical and Power Transmission Installers at Centura College-Richmond Main

At just $20,928 one year after graduation, this program ranks dead last among Virginia's 16 electrical installation programs—and in the bottom 10% nationally. To put that in perspective, graduates of Danville Community College's similar program earn three times as much ($62,468), while the Virginia median sits at $34,439. Even Centura's own Virginia Beach campus matches Richmond's underwhelming outcomes. For a field where skilled workers should command solid middle-class wages, these results suggest something is fundamentally broken in how this program connects students to quality employment.

The debt situation compounds the problem. While $14,750 isn't catastrophic in absolute terms, it represents 70% of first-year earnings—meaning graduates face nearly nine months of gross income in debt for a credential that leaves them earning barely above minimum wage. The program primarily serves low-income students (73% receive Pell grants), making these weak outcomes particularly troubling for families who can least afford a credential that doesn't deliver.

If your child is interested in electrical work, Virginia's community college system offers dramatically better options. Danville's program costs less and delivers earnings that could actually support a household. This particular program appears unable to place graduates in the journeyman-level positions that justify even a short-term training investment.