Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Holmes Community College

Automotive technician programs nationwide typically produce first-year earnings around $43,000, but Holmes Community College shows a puzzling disconnect: while initial earnings estimates align with this national baseline, graduates report earning just $29,771 four years out—a 31% drop when most careers show growth. This backward trajectory raises real questions about either the local job market's capacity to retain skilled technicians or the strength of employer connections that keep graduates competitive.

The estimated $11,425 debt load appears manageable against that initial $43,000 figure, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 that would normally signal reasonable value. But if the four-year earnings figure proves more representative of what your child will actually earn in Mississippi's automotive service sector, where the state median sits at $35,127, that calculus changes significantly. Other Mississippi programs like Itawamba Community College report outcomes closer to that state median, suggesting Holmes' graduates may face particular challenges sustaining career momentum.

Before committing, you need to understand what's driving that earnings decline. Talk to recent alumni directly—not just program administrators—about their actual career paths and whether they're still working as technicians in Mississippi. If graduates are leaving the field or relocating for better opportunities, that's critical information no debt-to-earnings ratio can capture.