Carpenters at City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College

Kennedy-King's carpentry certificate presents a puzzle: first-year graduates earn just $17,697—landing in the 5th percentile nationally—yet this represents the median outcome for Illinois carpentry programs. The state context matters here because it suggests either Illinois programs struggle broadly with placement, or carpentry apprenticeships in the region start at lower wages than elsewhere. With only five programs statewide, you're looking at limited options if staying in Illinois.

The $13,175 in debt for these earnings creates a 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe nearly three-quarters of their first year's income. That's manageable compared to many programs, but only if earnings grow substantially beyond year one—which the data doesn't show us. Nationally, carpentry certificate holders typically earn $34,421 their first year, nearly double what Kennedy-King graduates report. This gap is stark enough to question whether the program connects students to quality employers or if timing issues (part-time work, data collection during training periods) distort the picture.

The small sample size is critical context. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, one or two students working part-time or still in apprenticeships could drag the entire cohort's numbers down. If your child can verify current placement rates and talk to recent graduates about their second and third-year earnings, that would clarify whether this reflects a weak program or just incomplete data. The 60th percentile state ranking suggests it's competitive locally—just that "local" isn't particularly strong.