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

Median Earnings (1yr)

$42,830

85th percentile

40th percentile in Minnesota

Est. Median Debt

$9,500

Est. from MN median (11 programs)

Analysis

Minnesota West's precision metal working certificate delivers first-year earnings of $42,830—well above the national median but trailing most comparable programs in Minnesota. While graduates here earn more than 85% of precision metal workers nationally, they fall at the middle of the pack within the state, where top technical colleges regularly produce earnings above $50,000.

The debt picture looks reasonable at an estimated $9,500 based on peer programs at the institution, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.22. That means graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under three months of gross earnings. Similar Minnesota programs typically carry comparable debt loads around $9,400, so this estimate aligns with state norms. The challenge isn't the debt—it's the $6,500-$8,600 earnings gap between this program and the state's top performers like Hennepin Technical and Alexandria Technical & Community College.

For parents, this creates a practical question: why settle for middle-tier outcomes when stronger programs exist nearby? The certificate offers solid value compared to national alternatives, but within Minnesota's competitive technical education landscape, other schools appear to deliver better placement outcomes or industry connections. If proximity to Granite Falls is essential, the debt-to-earnings math still works. Otherwise, investigating what the top-performing programs do differently is worth the effort.

Where Minnesota West Community and Technical College Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How Minnesota West Community and Technical College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Minnesota

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in Minnesota (22 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Minnesota West Community and Technical CollegeGranite Falls	$6,484	$42,830	—	$9,500*	—
Hennepin Technical CollegeBrooklyn Park	$5,881	$52,456	$52,821	$9,329*	0.18
Alexandria Technical & Community CollegeAlexandria	$6,213	$51,141	$55,483	$9,500*	0.19
Saint Paul CollegeSaint Paul	$6,318	$50,842	$50,851	$9,928*	0.20
Dakota County Technical CollegeRosemount	$6,419	$50,464	$45,038	$5,500*	0.11
St Cloud Technical and Community CollegeSaint Cloud	$4,957	$49,636	$52,427	$9,500*	0.19
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 Minnesota West Community and Technical College, approximately 14% 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 19 graduates with reported earnings and 13 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.