Ground Transportation at City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College

This ground transportation program ranks in the bottom 10% statewide and bottom 5% nationally—a serious red flag when Illinois has 22 competing programs and students will likely stay in-state for jobs. First-year graduates earn just $24,356, roughly $12,000 below the Illinois median for this credential and $17,000 below what graduates from Elgin Community College earn in the same field. Even the program's strongest data point—23% earnings growth to $30,007 by year four—still leaves graduates earning 17% below the state median.

The debt picture offers little consolation. While $10,434 sits below the national average, it's nearly double what students at other Illinois ground transportation programs typically borrow. That means graduates here are taking on more debt for significantly weaker outcomes. The 0.43 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic, but it reflects starting salaries that would struggle to support independent living in Chicago.

Parents should recognize that ground transportation careers can provide stable middle-class incomes—just not through this particular program. With several Illinois community colleges placing graduates into $45,000+ starting positions in the same field, the pathway exists. But this program's consistent underperformance suggests students would be better served exploring those alternatives before committing here.