Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Texarkana College

The estimated debt-to-earnings picture here looks manageable on paper—at roughly $10,400 in debt against first-year earnings around $38,500, graduates would face a debt load equal to just 27% of their first-year income. That puts this squarely in "affordable investment" territory. However, the earnings estimate tells a more complicated story. Based on median outcomes from 15 similar programs across Texas, Texarkana's program appears positioned near the bottom of what's typical statewide, where comparable programs produce first-year earnings ranging from roughly $38,500 to over $50,000 at institutions like Tarrant County College District.

What's harder to assess is whether Texarkana's smaller size and regional focus might actually work in graduates' favor—sometimes lower debt matters more than chasing higher salaries, especially if job placement is strong locally in the Texarkana area's automotive sector. The national median for this credential sits at $42,900, suggesting that Texas programs in general (and this one specifically, based on peer data) trend slightly lower than the national average. For parents, the key question becomes whether the estimated $10,400 debt figure holds true and whether local employers actively recruit from Texarkana's program. If both check out, this could be a practical pathway into automotive work without crushing debt. If not, students might explore whether transferring to a higher-earning program after a year makes financial sense.