Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies at William R Moore College of Technology

A debt load around $13,000 for an automotive technology associate's degree represents a manageable investment, particularly when measured against what similar programs across the country typically deliver. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.30 sits comfortably in reasonable territory—peers in this field generally see graduates earning roughly three times their debt within the first year, which creates a realistic path to paying off student loans without financial strain.

The estimated first-year earnings of roughly $43,000 align with both Tennessee and national norms for automotive technicians fresh out of school. This is a field where earnings tend to remain relatively consistent across programs rather than varying wildly by institution, which makes sense given that entry-level technicians face similar certification requirements and labor market conditions regardless of where they trained. Memphis has a substantial automotive service sector, and skilled technicians remain in steady demand as vehicles become more complex.

The real limitation here is transparency: with both earnings and debt figures estimated from peer programs rather than reported outcomes from this specific school, you're making a decision with limited visibility into how William R Moore's particular graduates fare. That said, the automotive field is less susceptible to the wide variation seen in other majors—technical skills are technical skills. If the program offers ASE certification preparation and hands-on training with modern diagnostic equipment, the estimated outcomes provide a reasonable baseline for what to expect.