Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Morgan Community College

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$37,249

Est. from CO median (5 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$8,236

Est. from CO median (4 programs)

Analysis

A debt load under $8,500 for a credential that could lead to $37,000 in first-year earnings creates a manageable financial picture—even if these figures come from comparable Colorado programs rather than Morgan's own reported outcomes. That 0.22 debt-to-earnings ratio means your child would owe roughly three months of their first year's salary, making this one of the more affordable training paths in skilled trades.

The challenge is that precision metal working programs across Colorado show dramatic variation in outcomes. Similar programs in the state range from $26,000 to nearly $48,000 in first-year earnings, suggesting that employer connections, equipment quality, and local labor markets matter enormously. Morgan sits in Fort Morgan, a smaller community that may offer different career trajectories than metro Denver schools like Aims or Emily Griffith, which report substantially higher graduate earnings. Whether your child plans to stay local or relocate after graduation becomes a critical question.

The low estimated debt makes this program relatively low-risk even with outcome uncertainty. If your child has mechanical aptitude and interest in manufacturing or fabrication work, this certificate provides affordable entry into a field with steady demand. Just recognize you're investing based on statewide patterns rather than Morgan's specific track record, so visiting the campus, talking to instructors about job placement, and understanding local employer relationships becomes essential due diligence.

Where Morgan Community 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
Morgan Community CollegeFort Morgan	$4,127	$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 Morgan 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 median of 5 similar programs in CO. Actual outcomes may vary.