Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Mohawk Valley Community College

Mohawk Valley's automotive program reports unusually strong outcomes—graduates earn $55,746 just one year out, nearly 55% above the New York state median and outperforming even Western Suffolk BOCES, typically the state's earnings leader in this field. At $8,250 in debt, students finish with a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.15, meaning they could theoretically pay off their loans in under two months of gross income. Among New York's 21 automotive programs, this lands in the 95th percentile for earnings while keeping debt reasonable.

The significant caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers may not be representative. Small cohorts can produce outlier results that don't reflect the typical student experience. The slight earnings dip from year one to year four ($55,746 to $54,305) is common in trades where immediate job placement drives strong starting wages, and it's minimal enough to be unremarkable—especially given that even the four-year figure exceeds most programs' peak earnings.

If these results hold for larger cohorts, this program delivers exceptional value for a certificate that gets students working quickly. But given the sample size, treat this as a promising signal rather than a guarantee. Prospective students should ask the school about recent graduate outcomes and employer connections to verify whether these strong numbers reflect the broader reality.