2026 ROI Award Winner
Median Earnings (1yr)
$37,127
56th percentile
60th percentile in Wyoming
Median Debt
$6,951
23% below national median

Analysis

Eastern Wyoming College delivers what precision metal working programs promise: a quick entry into skilled manufacturing work with manageable debt. Starting earnings of $37,127 outpace the national median for this certificate by nearly $900, and graduates carry just $6,951 in debt—about $2,000 less than the typical program nationally. That 0.19 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates face roughly 2.3 months of earnings to pay off their loans, among the better outcomes for short-term technical credentials.

The trajectory looks solid too. Four years out, median earnings climb to $43,499, a 17% gain that suggests these skills command growing value in Wyoming's economy. Among the state's seven precision metal working programs, this ranks in the 60th percentile for earnings—comfortably above average in a state where manufacturing and energy extraction create steady demand for machinists and welders.

For families seeking the shortest path to middle-class income without four-year debt, this certificate delivers. The low Pell grant percentage (13%) suggests most students here aren't economically disadvantaged, but the modest debt load makes this accessible regardless. Your child won't get rich, but they'll have marketable skills and financial breathing room within a year of completion.

Where Eastern Wyoming College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Eastern Wyoming College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Earnings Over Time

How earnings evolve from 1 year to 4 years after graduation

School1 Year4 YearsGrowth
Eastern Wyoming College$37,127$43,499+17%
Ferris State University$68,852$74,137+8%
Alexandria Technical & Community College$51,141$55,483+8%
Idaho State University$64,581$55,405-14%
Madison Area Technical College$37,860$53,952+43%

Compare to Similar Programs Nationally

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at top institutions nationally

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Eastern Wyoming CollegeTorrington$4,290$37,127$43,499$6,9510.19
Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids$13,630$68,852$74,137$21,7650.32
Idaho State UniversityPocatello$8,356$64,581$55,405$9,0000.14
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green$4,656$58,996$9,4130.16
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton$4,916$53,507$52,715$7,6640.14
Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown$4,656$53,172$7,1660.13
National Median$36,248$9,0000.25

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 Eastern Wyoming 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.

Sample Size: Based on 31 graduates with reported earnings and 24 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.