Air Transportation at Jamestown Community College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.31 makes this program appear relatively manageable on paper, but the numbers require careful scrutiny. Both the $42,492 earnings figure and $13,208 debt load come from national medians of similar aviation programs, not from tracking actual Jamestown graduates. With only 140 programs nationwide offering associate degrees in air transportation, you're looking at a specialized field where outcomes can vary dramatically based on whether graduates land aviation jobs versus end up in unrelated work.

The real question is whether Jamestown's specific program connects students to the regional aviation employers that make those earnings possible. Aviation careers—from aircraft maintenance to air traffic control—typically require additional certifications beyond the degree itself, which means both the timeline to full employment and total training costs may exceed these estimates. Similar programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $42,500, but that average includes graduates at major airport hubs and those in rural areas with fewer opportunities. Western New York's aviation market is considerably smaller than downstate, which could push actual outcomes lower.

Before committing, nail down two specifics: what additional certifications this program prepares students for, and where recent graduates have actually found employment. The estimated numbers suggest reasonable value, but in a field this specialized, the program's industry connections matter more than broad statistical comparisons.