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Precision Metal Working undergraduate certificate or diploma at Lake Area Technical College

Watertown, SD · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$991 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
Not available
Highest price with a positive payoff
$1,930 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
Withheld by data safeguards
Available price data
College-wide context only
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5Not available → Not available
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableYear-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
Not availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
68Recent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

32Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
26Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
15Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
15Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmarkNot availableInformational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$49,693A like-for-like comparison is unavailable

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$15,979

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWINGNot available

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$49,693

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENTNot available

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE PROGRAM REPORTS

6 related offerings reported to the Department of Labor

These provider-reported records add named prices, completion and employment context where available. They describe a separate workforce-program cohort and may include non-degree training, so they are not blended into the College Scorecard earnings or DegreeVerdict ROI.

Certificate of completion · CIP 48.0503

Precision Machining - UpSkill Hybrid

Reported price
$4,235
Completion
Not reported
Employed in Q2
Not reported
Q2 quarterly earnings
Not available
This is a hybrid or blended program providing both in-person and online instruction.
Welding, Certificate · CIP 48.0508

Welding - UpSkill In-Person

Reported price
$4,260
Completion
Not reported
Employed in Q2
Not reported
Q2 quarterly earnings
Not available
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Certificate of completion · CIP 48.0503

Precision Machining - UpSkill In-Person

Reported price
$4,620
Completion
83.0%
Employed in Q2
47.0%
Q2 quarterly earnings
$6,061
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Certificate of Completion · CIP 48.0508

Welding Technology | Diploma | Campus

Reported price
$12,013
Completion
81.0%
Employed in Q2
8.0%
Q2 quarterly earnings
$10,922
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Associate of Applied Science · CIP 48.0508

Welding Technology | AAS | Campus

Reported price
$21,856
Completion
93.0%
Employed in Q2
20.0%
Q2 quarterly earnings
$15,503
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Associate of Applied Science · CIP 48.0501

Precision Machining | AAS | Campus

Reported price
$25,594
Completion
66.0%
Employed in Q2
12.0%
Q2 quarterly earnings
$10,317
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Program year 2022. Quarterly earnings are not annual salary. Suppressed values appear as “Not reported.” Source: U.S. Department of Labor TrainingProviderResults.gov. Showing 6 of 6 related records.
WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$15,979Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$19,637Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATENot availableInstitution context
COMPLETION RATE73.1%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

Not availableYear 1
$49,693Year 4
Not availableYear 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

Repayment pressure is not available

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$4,141
Estimated loan paymentNot available
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$49,693 vs. $48,702

$991 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other$45,950 median wageU.S. estimate · 15,900 jobs · 51-4199-7.1% projected U.S. growth · 1,300 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentLayout Workers, Metal and Plastic$63,870 median wageU.S. estimate · 5,970 jobs · 51-4192-3.4% projected U.S. growth · 500 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentMachinists$50,890 median wageSD estimate · 830 jobs · 51-4041$46,280–$58,750 middle 50% of SD wages+1.0% projected U.S. growth · 26,100 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentStructural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$50,800 median wageSD estimate · 180 jobs · 51-2041$40,870–$59,270 middle 50% of SD wages-6.2% projected U.S. growth · 4,800 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentComputer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$50,750 median wageSD estimate · 1,420 jobs · 51-9161$46,220–$60,080 middle 50% of SD wages-9.4% projected U.S. growth · 12,500 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentHeat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,750 median wageU.S. estimate · 14,000 jobs · 51-4191-9.5% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentCutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,060 median wageSD estimate · 490 jobs · 51-4031$41,900–$53,330 middle 50% of SD wages-10.5% projected U.S. growth · 13,200 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentRolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,040 median wageSD estimate · 70 jobs · 51-4023$39,020–$48,880 middle 50% of SD wages-8.3% projected U.S. growth · 1,900 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentMultiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,700 median wageSD estimate · 120 jobs · 51-4081$38,090–$56,380 middle 50% of SD wages+0.6% projected U.S. growth · 11,600 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentGrinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$39,060 median wageSD estimate · 130 jobs · 51-4033$31,710–$43,590 middle 50% of SD wages-10.8% projected U.S. growth · 4,500 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentComputer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$66,650 median wageSD estimate · 80 jobs · 51-9162$55,070–$79,360 middle 50% of SD wages+5.9% projected U.S. growth · 2,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Postsecondary nondegree awardModel Makers, Metal and Plastic$63,340 median wageU.S. estimate · 2,610 jobs · 51-4061-17.3% projected U.S. growth · 200 openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Rapid City, SD

Western Dakota Technical College

$3,309 lower annual net price

Earnings
$48,803
Debt
$9,125
Annual net price
$12,670
View outcomes →
Austin, MN

Riverland Community College

$38,171 higher earnings · $8,552 lower annual net price

Earnings
$87,864
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$7,427
View outcomes →
Pocatello, ID

Idaho State University

$32,990 higher earnings · $3,786 lower annual net price

Earnings
$82,683
Debt
$9,000
Annual net price
$12,193
View outcomes →
Big Rapids, MI

Ferris State University

$29,948 higher earnings · $7,355 lower annual net price

Earnings
$79,641
Debt
$21,765
Annual net price
$8,624
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

Not reported observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

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