Precision Metal Working (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at NASCAR Technical Institute

Analysis

NASCAR Technical Institute's Precision Metal Working program offers a surprisingly balanced value proposition in a field where debt often spirals out of control. At $10,593 in median debt, graduates emerge with manageable obligations—well below the national average and landing in just the 21st percentile for debt burden nationally. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28 means graduates typically earn back their entire investment in about four months of work.

The earnings picture is solid if not spectacular. First-year graduates earn $37,568, which beats both the national median ($36,248) and North Carolina's median ($37,004) for this program type. Among North Carolina's precision metalworking programs, this ranks in the 60th percentile—competitive but not exceptional. Davidson-Davie Community College leads the state at nearly $40,000, but NASCAR Tech holds its own in a crowded field of 59 programs statewide.

For parents weighing this investment, the fundamentals work: low debt, competitive earnings, and strong job market demand in precision manufacturing. With nearly half the student body receiving Pell grants, the program serves working-class families well without trapping them in excessive debt. While it won't make anyone wealthy, it provides a reliable path to middle-class earnings with minimal financial risk.

Where NASCAR Technical Institute Stands

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

Earnings Distribution

How NASCAR Technical Institute graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in North Carolina

Precision Metal Working certificate's programs at peer institutions in North Carolina (59 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
NASCAR Technical InstituteMooresville	—	$37,568	—	$10,593	0.28
Davidson-Davie Community CollegeThomasville	$1,978	$39,990	—	$11,000	0.28
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community CollegeAsheville	$2,882	$37,078	—	—	—
Guilford Technical Community CollegeJamestown	$2,319	$36,930	$36,750	—	—
Johnston Community CollegeSmithfield	$2,657	$34,171	—	—	—
Richmond Community CollegeHamlet	$2,552	$31,268	—	—	—
National Median	—	$36,248	—	$9,000	0.25

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 NASCAR Technical Institute, approximately 46% 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 496 graduates with reported earnings and 491 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.