Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Frontier Community College

Comparable automotive programs in Illinois suggest first-year earnings around $51,000—substantially above the national median of $43,000 for this credential. That's solid income for a two-year degree, and the estimated $11,425 in debt translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.22, meaning graduates would owe roughly three months' salary. For context, top-performing Illinois programs like Illinois Central College report $58,000, while others dip to $37,000, so there's meaningful variation in outcomes across the state's automotive schools.

The unusual aspect here is the earnings trajectory: fourth-year earnings of $47,000 actually fall below the first-year estimate. This could reflect the challenge of small sample sizes at individual schools, or it might indicate that early automotive careers in this region plateau quickly without specialization in high-demand areas like diagnostics or hybrid/electric systems. Either way, it suggests that initial job placement matters significantly.

For parents weighing this investment, the low debt burden is the strongest advantage—most automotive programs nationally carry similar debt but lower earnings. However, without reported outcomes specific to Frontier, you're betting on peer program performance translating locally. If your child plans to stay in southern Illinois where the job market may be thinner, verify local employer demand directly. The numbers work if the starting salary holds, but there's less margin for error than at schools with documented track records.