Location: Uvalde, TX•In-State Tuition: $2,646•Out-of-State Tuition: $6,294
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$35,123
Est. from TX median (5 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$9,168
Est. from TX median (3 programs)

Analysis

Similar precision metal working programs across Texas suggest first-year earnings around $35,000—enough to manage the estimated $9,200 in debt, but notably below what larger technical programs report. Austin Community College's graduates earn nearly $10,000 more in comparable roles, while Texas State Technical College places students above $39,000. That gap matters when you're building a trade career from the ground up.

The debt-to-earnings ratio looks manageable at 0.26, meaning roughly three months of gross pay to cover what's borrowed. For a hands-on credential that leads directly to shop floor work, that's reasonable. But the earnings ceiling appears lower here than at programs with stronger industry partnerships or more specialized equipment. Nationally, the median precision metalworker with an associate's earns over $41,000—a difference that compounds over a career.

The practical question: can your child reach those higher earnings through workplace experience and certifications after graduation? If Southwest Texas connects students to employers who invest in training and advancement, the lower starting point matters less. Without visibility into actual graduate outcomes from this specific program, though, you're betting on peer program performance translating here. If location flexibility allows, exploring the stronger-performing technical colleges in Texas might be worth the effort.

Where Southwest Texas College Stands

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

Southwest Texas College (estimated ±10%)Other precision metal working programs

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

Compare to Similar Programs in Texas

Precision Metal Working associates's programs at peer institutions in Texas (41 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Southwest Texas CollegeUvalde$2,646$35,123*—$9,168*—
Austin Community College DistrictAustin$2,550$45,279*$48,510$14,122*0.31
Texas State Technical CollegeWaco$7,192$39,234*$49,323$9,168*0.23
Trinity Valley Community CollegeAthens$2,640$35,123*$45,541—*—
South Texas CollegeMcAllen$4,920$33,167*——*—
Vernon CollegeVernon$4,080$32,206*$37,399$5,500*0.17
National Median—$41,504*—$12,000*0.29
* 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 Southwest Texas College, approximately 36% 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 TX. Actual outcomes may vary.