Ground Transportation at Community College of Allegheny County

Community College of Allegheny County's Ground Transportation certificate delivers something rare: graduates earning $59,330 within their first year—about $16,000 more than Pennsylvania's typical program and nearly $18,000 above the national median. That's 80th percentile performance in Pennsylvania, meaning it outearns most in-state alternatives while costing less. The $11,000 debt load sits below both state and national medians, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.19—graduates owe less than two months' salary.

The practical math here looks compelling. With most Ground Transportation programs nationally producing first-year earnings around $41,000, CCAC's outcomes suggest stronger employer connections or better-paying placement opportunities in the Pittsburgh region. Among the 18 Pennsylvania schools offering this certificate, only a handful match these earnings, and none combine them with such manageable debt.

The significant caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes may vary more than these numbers suggest. Still, when a program charges half what graduates earn in their first year and outperforms 95% of similar programs nationally, the value proposition is clear even accounting for data limitations.