Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Moraine Valley Community College

Moraine Valley's automotive program produces earnings estimates around $51,000 annually—figures drawn from the handful of comparable Illinois programs that do report data. This puts graduates in line with the state median and well above the national typical outcome of $42,900, though notably behind Illinois Central College's reported $58,000. The estimated debt load of $11,400 translates to a 0.22 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates would owe roughly 11 weeks of first-year income.

What's encouraging is the four-year earnings figure of $51,472, which barely budges from the first-year estimate. This stability suggests automotive technicians hit their stride quickly rather than building toward much higher pay over time. For students comfortable with hands-on work and immediate employment, that predictability has value. The estimated debt is also manageable—lower than both state and national benchmarks for automotive programs.

The caveat parents should understand: without actual graduate outcomes from this specific program, you're making decisions based on how peer programs perform. If Moraine Valley's training, employer connections, or student preparation differ meaningfully from Parkland or Illinois Central, those estimates may not hold. Request job placement rates and talk to recent graduates directly to fill in what the suppressed data can't tell you.