Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Colorado Mountain College

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$37,249

Est. from CO median (5 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$8,236

Est. from CO median (4 programs)

Analysis

The estimated debt load here—around $8,200 based on similar programs at Colorado Mountain College—sits comfortably below both state and national medians for precision metal working certificates. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.22, graduates would theoretically need less than three months of gross income to cover the entire credential cost, which represents manageable risk for a technical training program.

The earnings picture requires more caution. While the $37,200 estimate aligns with Colorado's state median, other in-state programs show a significant spread. Aims Community College graduates earn nearly $48,000 in their first year—28% more than what peer programs suggest for Colorado Mountain College. Even Emily Griffith Technical College, also in Colorado, reports outcomes above $44,000. This variation points to real differences in employer connections, curriculum intensity, or regional job markets that matter for a hands-on trade like precision machining.

For families considering this program, the question becomes whether Glenwood Springs offers the right mix of training quality and local job placement. The low debt makes it worth exploring if the school has strong relationships with manufacturers in the Western Slope region, but you'd want concrete answers about where recent graduates actually landed jobs and at what wages—not just statewide estimates. In precision metal working, the specific employers a program feeds into often matter more than the credential itself.

Where Colorado Mountain College Stands

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

Compare to Similar Programs in Colorado

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Colorado (15 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Colorado Mountain CollegeGlenwood Springs	$2,700	$37,249*	—	$8,236*	—
Aims Community CollegeGreeley	$2,090	$47,680*	—	—*	—
Emily Griffith Technical CollegeDenver	—	$44,943*	—	$8,125*	0.18
Lincoln College of Technology-DenverDenver	—	$37,249*	$42,279	$9,429*	0.25
Front Range Community CollegeWestminster	$4,740	$34,125*	$42,114	$8,347*	0.24
Pueblo Community CollegePueblo	$4,883	$25,970*	$33,636	$6,625*	0.26
National Median	—	$36,248*	—	$9,000*	0.25

* Estimated from similar programs

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 Colorado Mountain College, approximately 13% 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.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 5 similar programs in CO. Actual outcomes may vary.