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Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

2023 Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

11 Colleges
$8,461 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$39,468 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Precision Metal Working Associate Degree School for You

With 54,790 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022, precision metal working is the #7 most popular major in the United States.

There are so many trade school programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Trade College Search has developed this Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in the Far Western US Region to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for precision metal working students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

Check out the precision metal working associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools

Our analysis found Bellingham Technical College to be the best value school for precision metal working students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Far Western US Region . Located in the small city of Bellingham, Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Bellingham Vocational Technical Institute are $5,357 per year.

Full Precision Metal Working at Bellingham Technical College Report

Out of the 11 schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Spokane Community College landed the # 2 spot on the list. Spokane Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Spokane.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Spokane Community College are $5,278 per year.

Full Precision Metal Working at Spokane Community College Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clover Park Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the city of Lakewood, CPTC is a public school with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CPTC are $5,979 per year.

Full Precision Metal Working at Clover Park Technical College Report

#4

Lower Columbia College

Longview, WA

The excellent associate degree programs at Lower Columbia College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value precision metal working schools in the Far Western US Region . LCC is a small public school located in the small city of Longview.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at LCC are $5,514 a year.

Full Precision Metal Working at Lower Columbia College Report

#5

Skagit Valley College

Mount Vernon, WA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Skagit Valley College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in the small city of Mount Vernon, Skagit Valley College is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Skagit Valley College are $7,888 a year.

Read full report on Precision Metal Working at Skagit Valley College

Lake Washington Institute of Technology did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for precision metal working students to get a associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list. LWTech is a small public school located in the large suburb of Kirkland.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LWTech are $10,390 per year.

Read full report on Precision Metal Working at Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Portland Community College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree precision metal working programs. Located in the large city of Portland, Portland Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Portland Community College are $9,670 a year. While working on their Associate Degree, precision metal working majors at Portland Community College accumulate an average of around $26,380 in student debt.

Read full report on Precision Metal Working at Portland Community College

Everett Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for precision metal working students to get a associate degree. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Everett, Everett Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Everett Community College are $9,831 per year.

Full Precision Metal Working at Everett Community College Report

#9

Clark College

Vancouver, WA

Clark College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Clark College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Vancouver.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Clark College are $10,133 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, precision metal working graduates from Clark College carry an average student debtload of $11,176.

Full Precision Metal Working at Clark College Report

#10

Olympic College

Bremerton, WA

With a ranking of #10, Olympic College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for precision metal working students working on their associate degree. OC is a small public school located in the city of Bremerton.

OC undergraduate students pay an average of $9,740 in tuition and fees each year.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, OC also is in the top 15% of our Best Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking.

Read More…

Best Precision Metal Working Colleges by State

Explore the best precision metal working schools for a specific state in the Far Western US region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 1,172
California 2,491
Oregon 399
Nevada 336
Alaska 55
Hawaii 41

Precision Metal Working is one of 5 different types of trade school programs to choose from.

Precision Metal Working Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Welding Technology/Welder 46,029
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist 3,181
Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist 2,275
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant 1,588
Tool & Die Technology/Technician 541
Metal Fabricator 413
Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking 319
Ironworking/Ironworker 226
Other Precision Metal Working 218

Majors Similar to Precision Metal Working

Related Major Annual Graduates
Woodworking 435
Other Precision Production 67
Leatherworking & Upholstery 46
Precision Production Trades 44
Boilermaking 29

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 11 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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