Location: Madisonville, KY•In-State Tuition: $4,656•Out-of-State Tuition: $6,192
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$41,824
Est. from KY median (10 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$8,345
Est. from KY median (10 programs)

Analysis

Precision metal working certificates across Kentucky produce wildly different outcomes, and Madisonville sits squarely in the middle of that pack. Based on comparable programs in the state, graduates here likely earn around $41,800 in their first year—a figure that aligns with Kentucky's median but falls well short of the $59,000 that Southcentral Kentucky grads command just a few hours away. With estimated debt around $8,300, the financial burden is manageable at roughly 20% of first-year earnings, but that gap between schools suggests that program quality, employer relationships, or regional job markets vary significantly across the state's community colleges.

The bigger question is whether this middle-of-the-road position reflects something about Madisonville specifically or simply the uncertainty inherent in working with estimated data. Other Kentucky programs producing reported outcomes show a $16,000 spread between top and median performers—enough to meaningfully affect how quickly graduates can establish financial stability. The national picture offers little additional clarity, as Kentucky programs already outperform the $36,200 national median considerably.

For families considering this program, the debt load won't sink you, but the wide variance among Kentucky schools means location and employer connections likely matter more than the credential itself. If possible, connect with Madisonville's placement office to understand where their graduates actually work and what they earn—real outcomes trump state estimates every time.

Where Madisonville Community College Stands

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

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

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

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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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Madisonville Community CollegeMadisonville$4,656$41,824*—$8,345*—
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
Bluegrass Community and Technical CollegeLexington$4,706$46,133*—$10,684*0.23
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
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 Madisonville Community College, approximately 29% 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 10 similar programs in KY. Actual outcomes may vary.