Precision Metal Working at Southern Careers Institute-Corpus Christi

This precision metalworking program at Southern Careers Institute significantly underperforms both national and state standards, making it a concerning investment. Graduates earn just $25,077 in their first year—nearly $11,000 below the national median for similar programs and $5,000 below the Texas median. The program ranks in only the 5th percentile nationally and 25th percentile within Texas, meaning 95% of comparable programs nationwide produce better earnings outcomes.

The debt situation offers some relief, with graduates owing $7,125 compared to higher state and national medians around $9,000-$9,500. This creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28, and earnings do grow 16% over four years to $29,162. However, even after four years, graduates still earn less than the first-year median at top Texas programs like Amarillo College ($48,263) or San Jacinto Community College ($42,512).

Given that 73% of students receive Pell grants, many families are likely seeking affordable workforce training. While this program keeps debt low, the poor earnings outcomes suggest your child could likely find better-paying metalworking programs elsewhere in Texas. The robust sample size makes these concerning numbers reliable, not statistical flukes.