Precision Metal Working at Williston State College

A debt load of $7,900 for a certificate that's estimated to produce $36,200 in first-year earnings looks manageable on the surface—that 0.22 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests less than three months of gross income to pay off what you borrowed. However, the picture becomes more complicated when you look at actual outcomes from other precision metal working programs in North Dakota. Similar programs in the state, where graduates' earnings are tracked, report median first-year earnings of $45,800—nearly $10,000 more than the national baseline used for this estimate. Lynnes Welding Training, for instance, produces that higher figure with graduates carrying just $3,700 in debt, less than half what's estimated here.

The gap matters because North Dakota's tight labor market and industrial economy can dramatically shift what skilled tradespeople earn, but we simply don't have graduate outcomes data for this specific program to know whether it's capturing that advantage. If Williston State's program performs more like its in-state peers, the value proposition improves significantly. If it tracks closer to the national baseline—perhaps due to lower completion rates or graduate migration out of state—you're looking at a weaker return than comparable local options.

Before committing, contact Williston State directly to ask what their actual graduates are earning and where they're finding employment. Given North Dakota's stronger-than-typical outcomes in this field, you need to know whether this program connects students to those opportunities or merely exists in that market.