Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Waubonsee Community College

Based on comparable automotive programs in Illinois, Waubonsee's graduates appear positioned right at the state's median first-year earnings of roughly $51,000—well above the national benchmark of $43,000 for this field. The estimated debt load of $11,425 translates to a manageable 0.22 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates would owe about two months of their first year's salary. While we're working with estimates here rather than this program's actual outcomes (the graduate cohort was too small for the Department of Education to report), similar Illinois programs show a clear earnings advantage over the national field, with some like Illinois Central College pushing past $58,000.

The financial picture looks practical for students entering the automotive trades. With debt below both state and national medians, your child wouldn't be carrying the heavier burden that some technical programs require. The challenge is that without actual data from Waubonsee's graduates, you're betting on whether their outcomes match those peer programs—particularly whether they'll land closer to Illinois Central's $58,000 or Lincoln College of Technology's $37,000. Request placement rates and employer partnerships directly from the school, and ask specifically where their graduates are getting hired and at what starting wages. That concrete information matters more than these regional estimates when you're deciding whether this program delivers the earnings power to justify even a modest debt load.