Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Analysis

Bluegrass Community and Technical College's Precision Metal Working program charges notably more debt than Kentucky peers—about $2,300 above the state median—while delivering earnings that, though strong nationally, sit squarely in the middle of Kentucky programs. At $46,133 first-year earnings versus $41,824 statewide, graduates earn well but trail programs at schools like Southcentral Kentucky ($58,996) and Elizabethtown ($53,172) by considerable margins. The premium debt is harder to justify when similar Kentucky community colleges produce better outcomes at lower cost.

The fundamentals remain sound: a 0.23 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable, and graduates still outpace 95% of metal working programs nationally. The $10,684 debt load won't derail anyone financially. But for Kentucky families, this represents a value gap. Your child would graduate owing about $2,000 more than at Gateway Community College while earning roughly the same, or substantially less than top-tier state alternatives.

If Bluegrass offers geographic convenience or specialized training unavailable elsewhere, the premium may be worth it—skilled metal workers remain in demand. But parents should know this sits at the higher end of Kentucky's cost spectrum for this credential without matching the earnings upside that other in-state programs deliver. Consider whether location advantages outweigh the financial trade-off.

Where Bluegrass Community and Technical College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all precision metal working certificate's programs nationally

Earnings Distribution

How Bluegrass Community and Technical College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Kentucky

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Kentucky (17 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexington	$4,706	$46,133	—	$10,684	0.23
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green	$4,656	$58,996	—	$9,413	0.16
Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown	$4,656	$53,172	—	$7,166	0.13
Owensboro Community and Technical CollegeOwensboro	$4,656	$45,366	—	$7,475	0.16
Gateway Community and Technical CollegeFlorence	$4,656	$42,233	—	$9,041	0.21
Somerset Community CollegeSomerset	$4,656	$41,415	—	$8,439	0.20
National Median	—	$36,248	—	$9,000	0.25

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with precision metal working graduates

Sheet Metal Workers

Fabricate, assemble, install, and repair sheet metal products and equipment, such as ducts, control boxes, drainpipes, and furnace casings. Work may involve any of the following: setting up and operating fabricating machines to cut, bend, and straighten sheet metal; shaping metal over anvils, blocks, or forms using hammer; operating soldering and welding equipment to join sheet metal parts; or inspecting, assembling, and smoothing seams and joints of burred surfaces. Includes sheet metal duct installers who install prefabricated sheet metal ducts used for heating, air conditioning, or other purposes.

$60,850/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Machinists

Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.

$57,700/yrJobs growth:

Tool and Die Makers

Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.

$57,700/yrJobs growth:

Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

$51,000/yrJobs growth:High school diploma or equivalent

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to roll steel or plastic forming bends, beads, knurls, rolls, or plate, or to flatten, temper, or reduce gauge of material.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend milling or planing machines to mill, plane, shape, groove, or profile metal or plastic work pieces.

$46,800/yrJobs growth:

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Bluegrass Community and Technical College, approximately 35% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Sample Size: Based on 36 graduates with reported earnings and 64 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.