Air Transportation at Dodge City Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31 suggests manageable repayment, but there's significant uncertainty here. Both the $42,492 first-year earnings figure and the $13,208 debt estimate come from national peer programs, not Dodge City's actual graduates. With only eight national programs used to estimate earnings and six used to estimate debt, we're working with a small sample that may not reflect outcomes in rural Kansas, where aviation career paths and salary scales can differ substantially from programs near major metropolitan airports or military bases.

The national data does provide some reassurance: aviation associates degrees generally produce solid employment outcomes, with the field's hands-on training and industry certifications translating to clear career pathways. The median $42,492 across comparable programs would support debt repayment on $13,000 borrowed, and top-performing programs nationally reach $53,000. However, Dodge City's specific aviation program may produce very different results depending on its focus (pilot training versus maintenance, for instance) and local employer relationships.

Given that five Kansas schools offer air transportation programs but none have published outcome data, you're essentially betting on program quality without verified evidence. If your child is serious about aviation and Dodge City offers the specific certifications they need at a reasonable price, the estimated debt load isn't alarming. But confirm exactly what credentials the program provides and research where recent graduates actually found jobs before committing.