Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Coahoma Community College

The unusual earnings trajectory here—comparable programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $36,000, but this program's four-year figure drops to $24,398—raises immediate questions about career stability or retention in the field. That's concerning for a hands-on credential where skills should translate directly into steady employment.

Mississippi's automotive repair market appears weaker than the national picture. While peer programs across the country typically see graduates earning $36,000 in their first year, similar programs within Mississippi produce a median of just $24,000. At an estimated $9,500 in debt (based on patterns at comparable community colleges), the financial burden starts manageable but becomes harder to justify if earnings remain flat or decline. The debt-to-earnings ratio looks reasonable on paper at 0.26, but that's calculated against the national estimate—not the lower Mississippi reality this program's four-year outcomes suggest.

The real question is whether graduates stay in automotive repair or drift into lower-paying work. If your child is committed to turning wrenches long-term and can keep debt below $10,000, the numbers work. But that earnings dip by year four is a red flag that deserves direct questions to the school about graduate employment patterns and whether students are actually building sustainable careers in the field.