Best Precision Metal Working Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$20,560

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$17,108

Cost of attendance

#	College	State	20-Yr Net ROI	Median Salary	Annual Cost	Avg Debt
1	Cape Fear Community College Grad rate: 31.4%	NC	+$819,186	$84,357	$13,977	N/A	Full ROI →
2	Ferris State University Grad rate: 48.6%	MI	+$631,843	$77,380	$26,066	$17,500	Full ROI →
3	Hennepin Technical College Grad rate: 38.1%	MN	+$537,020	$70,434	$15,830	N/A	Full ROI →
4	BridgeValley Community & Technical College Grad rate: 24.6%	WV	+$460,056	$66,092	$10,892	N/A	Full ROI →
5	Idaho State University Grad rate: 37.7%	ID	+$362,172	$62,217	$21,084	N/A	Full ROI →
6	Ivy Tech Community College Grad rate: 33.3%	IN	+$282,344	$57,966	$13,891	$6,810	Full ROI →
7	Spartanburg Community College Grad rate: 29.2%	SC	+$264,258	$56,716	$15,031	N/A	Full ROI →
8	Eastern Maine Community College Grad rate: 25.2%	ME	+$257,052	$56,571	$17,184	N/A	Full ROI →
9	Dunwoody College of Technology Grad rate: 54.6%	MN	+$244,212	$58,504	$34,834	$12,000	Full ROI →
10	Hawkeye Community College Grad rate: 32.3%	IA	+$205,250	$53,769	$15,065	N/A	Full ROI →
11	Minneapolis Community and Technical College Grad rate: 15.1%	MN	+$193,368	$53,551	$18,826	N/A	Full ROI →
12	Southern Maine Community College Grad rate: 19.4%	ME	+$192,360	$53,258	$16,400	N/A	Full ROI →
13	Elgin Community College Grad rate: 38.9%	IL	+$160,946	$51,031	$9,837	N/A	Full ROI →
14	Central Lakes College-Brainerd Grad rate: 47.2%	MN	+$137,494	$50,675	$18,003	N/A	Full ROI →
15	Central Maine Community College Grad rate: 24.6%	ME	+$125,920	$49,812	$15,160	N/A	Full ROI →
16	Greenville Technical College Grad rate: 17.4%	SC	+$121,070	$49,446	$13,925	N/A	Full ROI →
17	Fox Valley Technical College Grad rate: 55.2%	WI	+$116,026	$49,366	$15,647	N/A	Full ROI →
18	San Jacinto Community College Grad rate: 33.3%	TX	+$115,340	$49,266	$14,990	N/A	Full ROI →
19	Milwaukee Area Technical College Grad rate: 19.7%	WI	+$99,262	$48,684	$17,209	N/A	Full ROI →
20	Austin Community College District Grad rate: 16.1%	TX	+$97,903	$48,964	$11,156	$14,122	Full ROI →
21	State Technical College of Missouri Grad rate: 78.0%	MO	+$95,500	$49,288	$17,385	$11,474	Full ROI →
22	Texas State Technical College Grad rate: 37.0%	TX	+$86,401	$48,940	$20,011	$9,168	Full ROI →
23	Vincennes University Grad rate: 34.1%	IN	+$72,308	$48,370	$19,446	$12,000	Full ROI →
24	South Central College Grad rate: 27.4%	MN	+$69,660	$47,023	$15,400	N/A	Full ROI →
25	Central Piedmont Community College Grad rate: 24.3%	NC	+$66,878	$46,439	$10,951	N/A	Full ROI →
26	Pennsylvania College of Technology Grad rate: 49.6%	PA	+$60,937	$49,302	$32,595	$14,750	Full ROI →
27	North Dakota State College of Science Grad rate: 46.7%	ND	+$60,575	$47,417	$16,291	$11,246	Full ROI →
28	Waukesha County Technical College Grad rate: 46.8%	WI	+$57,418	$46,299	$14,281	N/A	Full ROI →
29	Lane Community College Grad rate: 23.1%	OR	+$50,382	$46,234	$17,149	N/A	Full ROI →
30	Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Grad rate: 57.8%	PA	+$49,488	$46,991	$17,066	$12,000	Full ROI →
31	Lake Area Technical College Grad rate: 67.0%	SD	+$49,150	$47,024	$18,239	$11,001	Full ROI →
32	Indian Hills Community College Grad rate: 38.2%	IA	+$34,392	$45,197	$14,774	N/A	Full ROI →
33	Southeast Community College Area Grad rate: 28.6%	NE	+$30,214	$45,529	$12,319	$11,650	Full ROI →
34	Lower Columbia College Grad rate: 25.4%	WA	+$20,104	$44,680	$16,748	N/A	Full ROI →
35	Chemeketa Community College Grad rate: 22.1%	OR	+$17,546	$44,420	$15,427	N/A	Full ROI →
36	Northcentral Technical College Grad rate: 47.5%	WI	+$12,706	$44,225	$15,897	N/A	Full ROI →
37	Ranken Technical College Grad rate: 51.2%	MO	+$12,032	$46,437	$28,229	$15,000	Full ROI →
38	Monroe Community College Grad rate: 21.8%	NY	+$10,008	$43,920	$14,196	N/A	Full ROI →
39	Northern Wyoming Community College District Grad rate: 38.0%	WY	+$6,792	$43,931	$15,914	N/A	Full ROI →
40	Lake Washington Institute of Technology Grad rate: 41.9%	WA	+$3,578	$43,714	$15,351	N/A	Full ROI →
41	Linn-Benton Community College Grad rate: 23.5%	OR	-$6,048	$43,484	$17,864	N/A	Full ROI →
42	Eastern Wyoming College Grad rate: 41.4%	WY	-$10,666	$42,961	$14,943	N/A	Full ROI →
43	Aims Community College Grad rate: 35.1%	CO	-$24,456	$42,225	$14,478	N/A	Full ROI →
44	New Castle School of Trades Grad rate: 73.4%	PA	-$24,648	$42,896	$14,581	$9,931	Full ROI →
45	Kirkwood Community College Grad rate: 37.9%	IA	-$26,819	$43,050	$14,797	$13,500	Full ROI →
46	Kennebec Valley Community College Grad rate: 45.7%	ME	-$26,896	$42,053	$13,978	N/A	Full ROI →
47	Helena College University of Montana Grad rate: 35.7%	MT	-$29,526	$42,273	$17,493	N/A	Full ROI →
48	Paris Junior College Grad rate: 35.9%	TX	-$33,242	$41,633	$12,951	N/A	Full ROI →
49	Peninsula College Grad rate: 41.1%	WA	-$42,348	$41,280	$13,974	N/A	Full ROI →
50	Triangle Tech Inc-Greensburg Grad rate: 79.3%	PA	-$42,867	$43,828	$27,387	$18,262	Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Precision Metal Working Degrees by State

Browse Precision Metal Working programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.