Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Tarrant County College District

Tarrant County College's automotive program significantly outperforms most alternatives while keeping debt manageable. With first-year earnings of $50,956, graduates earn 37% more than the typical Texas automotive program and far exceed the national median of $35,905. Among Texas schools offering this credential, TCCD ranks in the 80th percentile—only a handful of programs, including Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Dallas, produce higher earnings. The program also shows healthy income progression, with earnings climbing to $55,689 by year four.

The $17,000 debt load runs higher than both state ($13,560) and national ($11,000) medians for automotive certificates, but the strong earnings make this manageable. Your child would face payments representing just one-third of their first-year income—a reasonable burden that most automotive programs can't match. The debt sits in the 15th percentile nationally, meaning 85% of similar programs carry less debt, but few deliver TCCD's earning power.

For a parent weighing community college options, this represents a clear path to skilled work with solid wages. Your child would enter the workforce earning more than most four-year graduates immediately, with room to grow as they gain experience. The higher debt is the tradeoff for substantially higher earnings, but the math works strongly in graduates' favor.