Construction Management at San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia

San Joaquin Valley College's construction management program shows exactly the trajectory parents should look for in career-focused technical training—modest starting wages that climb steadily as graduates gain field experience. Students start at $53,000 and reach $68,000 by year four, a 29% jump that reflects how construction management rewards practical knowledge. With $20,000 in debt, graduates owe less than 40% of their first-year salary, well within manageable territory even during that initial learning phase.

The national ranking at the 25th percentile looks underwhelming at first glance, but here's what matters: this program actually matches California's median for construction management programs. Among the handful of schools offering this degree in-state, San Joaquin Valley performs solidly middle-of-the-pack on earnings while keeping debt typical for the field. The construction industry in California's Central Valley has different dynamics than national averages, and this program appears calibrated to local market realities.

For families in the Visalia area where nearly half of students qualify for Pell grants, this represents accessible entry into a field with clear advancement potential. The year-four earnings suggest graduates who stick with the industry can build stable middle-class careers. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) provides reasonable confidence in these outcomes without the volatility of smaller programs.