Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Pratt Community College

The absence of reported outcomes for Pratt Community College's auto repair program makes it difficult to assess, but peer programs nationally suggest modest first-year earnings around $43,000 against estimated debt of $11,400—a manageable 0.27 debt-to-earnings ratio. What's concerning is the gap with Kansas benchmarks: similar programs statewide typically produce median earnings near $49,000, and the state's top program at Wichita State reports over $56,000 in first-year earnings. That $13,000 difference matters significantly when you're entering a field where hourly wages drive income potential.

The estimated debt load here is actually lower than both state and national medians for auto repair programs, which helps offset the earnings uncertainty. But parents should recognize that without actual graduate data, you're essentially making a decision in the dark. Other Kansas technical colleges have enough graduates to report real outcomes—Fort Hays State's program shows $41,600 in first-year earnings with verifiable data. That transparency alone might be worth considering, especially when Wichita State's clearly superior outcomes suggest that program choice matters considerably in this field.

Your child could reasonably pay off this estimated debt on typical auto technician wages, but the lack of reported data suggests either a very small program or recent changes that haven't produced trackable graduates yet. Before enrolling, confirm the program's size, employer connections, and ASE certification rates—factors that actually determine whether graduates land $40,000 jobs or $55,000 ones.