Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at North Dakota State College of Science

North Dakota State College of Science turns out automotive technicians earning $56,659 in their first year—about $14,000 more than the typical graduate from similar programs nationwide. That's 95th percentile performance nationally, meaning this program outearns nearly every auto tech program in the country. For context, graduates here make more right out of the gate than the 75th percentile benchmark nationally.

The debt picture reinforces the value: at under $12,000, students borrow roughly the national median but earn significantly more, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.21. That means graduates owe about two months of their first-year salary—remarkably manageable. Earnings also show healthy growth, climbing to $62,040 by year four, which suggests these technicians are advancing into higher-paying roles or specializations rather than plateauing.

One note of context: within North Dakota, this program sits at the 60th percentile, which means there are other strong auto tech programs in the state. However, with only five programs total in North Dakota, the local competition is limited, and this program still matches the state median. For families weighing vocational training options, this combination of low debt, strong immediate earnings, and solid growth trajectory makes a compelling case for skilled trades education.