Ground Transportation at Riverland Community College

Riverland's ground transportation certificate delivers mixed results for Minnesota students. While graduates earn solidly above the national median ($45,619 vs. $41,414), they're trailing most Minnesota programs in the field—landing at just the 40th percentile statewide. When nearby Central Lakes College-Brainerd graduates are earning $64,164 and Alexandria Tech tops $48,500, Riverland's outcomes look less competitive for in-state students who could reasonably access those alternatives.

The bright spot here is debt: at $4,750, students borrow significantly less than typical programs nationally or in Minnesota (both around $7,700-$7,800). That creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.10, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about five weeks of gross earnings. For a field where many workers need to start earning quickly, this minimal debt burden matters.

The catch is sample size—this data reflects fewer than 30 recent graduates, so these numbers could swing considerably year to year. If you're considering Riverland specifically for location or cost reasons, the low debt makes it a relatively safe bet. But if your student has flexibility on where to attend in Minnesota, programs at Central Lakes or Alexandria Tech appear to offer substantially better earning potential without dramatically more debt.