Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Gateway Technical College

Gateway Technical College's auto repair program produces graduates earning $45,246 in their first year—above the national median but trailing most Wisconsin competitors. While this beats typical programs nationwide (62nd percentile), it lands in the bottom half among Wisconsin's technical colleges (40th percentile), where Fox Valley graduates earn nearly $3,000 more. For parents comparing Wisconsin options, that gap matters because these programs cost roughly the same.

The financial fundamentals work well here. With just $11,250 in typical debt, graduates face manageable payments—their debt represents only three months of earnings. That's a significantly better position than many associate's degree programs, where debt can stretch to six or eight months of income. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) provides reasonable confidence in these outcomes.

The real question is whether Gateway's location advantage in Kenosha outweighs the earnings premium at other Wisconsin technical colleges. If your student wants to stay in southeastern Wisconsin where dealerships and repair shops are plentiful, Gateway offers solid preparation with minimal debt risk. But families willing to consider other locations might find better value at schools like Fox Valley, where similar training costs lead to noticeably higher starting pay. Either way, this career path delivers quicker returns than many bachelor's degrees.