Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at Western Iowa Tech Community College

The earnings data here should catch your attention: Western Iowa Tech's auto tech graduates start at $37,520, landing in the bottom quarter of both Iowa programs (25th percentile) and national programs (23rd percentile). When you consider that Iowa's median for this field is $47,882—nearly $10,000 higher—this represents a significant gap. Nearby competitors like Des Moines Area and Northwest Iowa Community College produce graduates earning $52,000+, suggesting this isn't simply about Iowa's auto industry wages.

The debt situation looks reasonable at $11,000, creating a manageable 0.29 ratio to first-year earnings. The positive news is that earnings do grow 10% over four years to $41,248. However, that still leaves graduates well behind their Iowa peers even after gaining experience. For an automotive technician—a career where starting wages matter because dealerships and repair shops typically pay on production or flat-rate systems—beginning this far below market rate creates a real disadvantage.

The caveat: this data comes from a small sample (under 30 graduates), so outcomes could vary significantly. But given the consistency of the earnings gap across both state and national comparisons, parents should investigate why this program's graduates aren't matching Iowa's strong automotive training outcomes. At minimum, visit the higher-performing programs nearby to understand what they're doing differently before committing here.