Precision Metal Working at Beal University

With numbers from fewer than 30 graduates, Beal University's Precision Metal Working program shows promising early returns but demands careful consideration. Graduates earn $44,690 in their first year—about $3,200 above the national median for this field—while carrying $13,541 in debt. That 0.30 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates owe roughly four months of income, a manageable starting point for a skilled trade. The program serves a predominantly working-class student body (64% receive Pell grants), suggesting it's opening doors to middle-class wages for students who need them.

The state context is tricky here: with only seven schools in Maine offering this program, Beal sits at the median for both earnings and debt statewide. That's neither impressive nor concerning—it's simply typical for Maine's precision metalworking landscape. Nationally, the program performs slightly better, landing in the 63rd percentile for earnings while keeping debt below average.

The real question is reliability. Small cohorts mean one unusually successful (or struggling) graduate can swing these numbers significantly. If your child is genuinely interested in precision machining and manufacturing, these figures suggest reasonable prospects. But verify the program's equipment, instructor credentials, and industry connections—those matter more than aggregate statistics when you're working with such limited data. The debt load won't crush anyone, but you're essentially betting on a track record that's too thin to call proven.