Location: Poplar, MT•In-State Tuition: $2,250
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$36,248
Est. from national median (299 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$7,913
Est. from national median (94 programs)

Analysis

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.22 suggests manageable borrowing, assuming the national estimates hold true in rural Montana. Based on comparable precision metal working programs nationwide, graduates typically earn around $36,000 in their first year—enough to service roughly $8,000 in loans without undue strain. What's harder to gauge is whether Fort Peck's specific training translates into these outcomes given its remote location and the limited industrial base in northeastern Montana.

Montana has thirteen schools offering precision metal working credentials, but none report graduate outcomes publicly, making it difficult to assess whether local labor markets actually support these earnings projections. The skills are portable—welding and metal fabrication travel—but students may need to relocate to find positions that pay at the national median. The low Pell enrollment (21%) might suggest a more financially stable student body less dependent on loans, though it could also reflect limited outreach or accessibility.

The financial structure looks sound on paper, but the estimate's reliability depends on how closely Fort Peck's training aligns with national programs and whether graduates can access comparable opportunities. Parents should verify job placement rates directly with the college and investigate where recent graduates actually found work—whether they stayed in Montana or had to leave for Wyoming's energy corridor or further afield.

Where Fort Peck Community College Stands

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

Fort Peck Community College (estimated ±10%)Other precision metal working programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

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 Debt*Debt/Earnings
Fort Peck Community CollegePoplar$2,250$36,248*—$7,913*—
Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids$13,630$68,852*$74,137$21,765*0.32
Idaho State UniversityPocatello$8,356$64,581*$55,405$9,000*0.14
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical CollegeBowling Green$4,656$58,996*—$9,413*0.16
Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton$4,916$53,507*$52,715$7,664*0.14
Elizabethtown Community and Technical CollegeElizabethtown$4,656$53,172*—$7,166*0.13
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 Fort Peck Community College, approximately 21% 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 national median of 299 similar programs. Actual outcomes may vary.