Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Northwood Technical College

Northwood Technical College's auto tech program sits squarely in the middle of the pack—49th percentile nationally, but 40th percentile within Wisconsin—which means students could find better outcomes at other in-state options. With first-year earnings of $35,702, graduates here trail the Wisconsin median by about $1,500 and lag significantly behind top state programs like Fox Valley Tech ($45,675) and Gateway Tech ($43,965). That $10,000 annual earnings gap compounds quickly over a career.

The bright spot is debt management: at just $7,000, Northwood keeps borrowing well below both state and national averages, resulting in a very manageable 0.20 debt-to-earnings ratio. Students can realistically pay this off within their first year of work. However, the lower debt doesn't fully compensate for the middling earnings trajectory—the program appears to prepare students adequately for entry-level work but may not position them as strongly for higher-paying specializations or advancement opportunities that graduates from stronger Wisconsin programs secure.

For families prioritizing minimal debt in an auto tech career, Northwood delivers on that front. But if your student has options, particularly Fox Valley, Gateway, or Chippewa Valley Technical Colleges, those programs show substantially stronger earning potential with only modestly higher debt loads. The difference in lifetime earnings could be significant enough to justify exploring those alternatives first.