Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Hill College

The $9,500 in estimated debt for Hill College's automotive certificate sits well below what most Texas programs report—the state median is $13,560—which immediately improves the financial math for this credential. Based on comparable programs across Texas, graduates typically earn around $37,000 in their first year, putting this program right at the state median for vehicle maintenance certificates. That 0.26 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable debt relative to income, though it's worth noting the earning figures are derived from 20 similar programs statewide since Hill College's own graduate numbers are too small to report publicly.

The challenge is that several Texas community colleges—Tarrant County, Austin CC, Amarillo—report first-year earnings in the $41,000-$51,000 range for their automotive programs. That $13,000-$14,000 earnings gap between Hill College's projected outcomes and the top performers raises questions about whether location (rural Hillsboro versus major metro areas), employer connections, or curriculum differences drive those disparities. For a field where hands-on training and local job markets matter enormously, the school's specific placement record would tell you more than these statewide estimates.

If keeping debt low is the priority and your student plans to work in the Hill County area, this program's estimated financial profile looks reasonable for entry into a stable trade. But if maximizing first-year earnings matters more, the data suggests investigating programs near Texas's major cities where automotive technicians appear to command higher starting wages.