Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Fort Scott Community College

Automotive tech programs in Kansas cluster tightly around $36,000 in first-year earnings, and Fort Scott Community College appears positioned right in that range based on comparable programs statewide. The estimated debt load of $7,000—substantially lower than the national median of $11,000 for this credential—creates a manageable 0.19 debt-to-earnings ratio. That means graduates would owe roughly two months' salary, which is about as favorable as you'll find in vocational training.

The catch is that these figures come from just four Kansas programs at similar schools, not Fort Scott's actual graduates. While that small peer group suggests consistency across the state, there's legitimate uncertainty about whether this specific program delivers comparable outcomes. The top-performing program in Kansas—Wichita State's applied sciences campus—produces earnings nearly $11,000 higher, demonstrating that location and employer connections matter significantly in the automotive field.

For families comfortable with that uncertainty, the low debt burden makes this a relatively low-risk bet. Even if actual earnings fall short of estimates, owing $7,000 rather than $11,000 provides meaningful cushion. But parents should verify job placement rates and ask where recent graduates actually landed work—local employer relationships will determine whether Fort Scott's program performs like its Kansas peers or falls behind them.