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Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

2023 Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

18 Colleges
$6,526 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$39,468 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Precision Metal Working Associate Degree School for You

In 2021-2022, 54,790 precision metal working students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #7 most popular in the country.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for trade school students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Trade College Search has created its Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. This report analyzed 18 schools in the Southwest 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. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top 10 Best Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools

#1

Amarillo College

Amarillo, TX

Our analysis found Amarillo College to be the best value school for precision metal working students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Southwest Region . Located in the midsize city of Amarillo, Amarillo College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Amarillo College are $4,704 per year.

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#2

Hill College

Hillsboro, TX

The excellent associate degree programs at Hill College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value precision metal working schools in the Southwest Region . Located in the town of Hillsboro, Hill College is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Hill College are $4,462 a year.

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#3

South Plains College

Levelland, TX

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means South Plains College is a great value for precision metal working students working on their associate degree. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Levelland.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Plains College are $4,857 a year.

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Out of the 18 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, San Jacinto Community College landed the # 4 spot on the list. San Jacinto College is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Pasadena.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at San Jacinto College are $5,040 a year.

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#5

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX

Out of the 18 schools in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lone Star College System landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of The Woodlands, North Harris Montgomery is a public school with a fairly large student population.

North Harris Montgomery undergraduate students pay an average of $6,456 in tuition and fees each year.

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Austin Community College District ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Austin Community College District is a very large public school located in the large city of Austin.

Austin Community College District undergraduate students pay an average of $10,590 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that precision metal working majors at Austin Community College District take out while working on their Associate Degree is $13,793.

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#7

Del Mar College

Corpus Christi, TX

Del Mar College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. DMC is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Corpus Christi.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DMC are $5,990 per year.

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New Mexico State University - Carlsbad ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Located in the rural area of Carlsbad, NMSU Carlsbad is a public school with a small student population.

NMSU Carlsbad undergraduate students pay an average of $4,008 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, precision metal working graduates from NMSU Carlsbad carry an average student debtload of $16,330.

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Texas State Technical College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. TSTC is a large public school located in the city of Waco.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at TSTC are $11,094 per year. Precision Metal Working majors at TSTC take out an average of $10,569 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, TSTC also did well on our Best Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Trade Schools in the Southwest Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

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#10

Texarkana College

Texarkana, TX

Texarkana College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Precision Metal Working Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region list. Texarkana College is a small public school located in the city of Texarkana.

Texarkana College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,332 in tuition and fees each year.

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Best Precision Metal Working Colleges by State

Explore the best precision metal working colleges for a specific state in the Southwest region.

State Degrees Awarded
Arizona 927
Texas 6,978
Oklahoma 1,721
New Mexico 235

One of 5 majors within the trade school area of study, precision metal working has other similar majors worth exploring.

Precision Metal Working Focus Areas

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 18 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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